My Auburn Princess
by Reinne141
Summary: Chapter Seven: Sumire has a visitor, Atobe gives the Jimmies Brigade a lifetime's worth of twitches, Sengoku goes chick-hunting with Dan, Fuji comes to a realization, Seigaku wants to murder Kirihara, Zaizen goes to Tokyo, Mizuki goes crazy, the King and the Emperor arrives and.. WHAT! Kirihara's not the father of the baby! New voting system inside. Don't forget to RnR! Enjoy!
1. The invitation letter for Hyotei

Chapter one-

The invitation letter for Hyotei

...

**My Obaa-chan would always tell me of things I don't really understand. She just speaks about something with a tone that makes you want to believe her and a gleam in her eyes that somehow told me of her wisdom. There's this one phrase she said years ago that got stuck in my head: "Everything happens for a reason". I didn't give it much thought before because I often hear it from other people.. I didn't know what it really meant though. But now, looking back at everything that happened, I realized that it is really fitting. One thing led to another and now.. I'm here.**

**What if I didn't deliver the letters? What if Tomo-chan didn't have to stay home and babysit her brothers? What would've happened.. if I refused Obaa-chan? Hmm.. Maybe, a lot of things would've changed. But I guess it doesn't really matter now. Oh, how beautiful. There's a flock of birds flying right outside the window.**

...

Delivering letters is not that hard a task. But delivering letters to two different schools which are not really that near to each other and homes to the most feared in Tennis.. is an entirely different story. Oh, if only Tomo-chan didn't bail out on her at the last minute, she could've asked the others to come with her. It was just yesterday when her Obaa-chan approached her and asked her for a favor. Of course, being the obedient granddaughter that she is, she complied without a second thought.

Sakuno's hold on the letter tightened as she heaved a deep breath, her auburn braids moving behind her. Inhale.. Exhale.. Then count to ten, just like what Fuji-senpai said she should do whenever she's stressed. Everything will be fine. Ten. It's going to be okay. Nine. Daijobou na. Eight. Seven. Everything will be- sigh. 'Obaa-chan..', she moaned inwardly. Why of all people must she be the one to do this? Why not Tezuka-buchou who can withstand the Hyotei king's incessant rants about his perfection and flawless skill? Why not Fuji-senpai who can scare away other people with his sadistic smile? Why not Inui-senpai? He'd surely love to do this! Why her? Why?!

Ah, right.. Obaa-chan wanted this to be a secret. A surprise.

Bowing her head in sheer hopelessness, she placed the letters back inside her bag and stepped forward.. into the large gates of Hyotei Gakuen, without noticing that a big, fluffy white creature has spotted her.

...

"Tell me again, why are we doing this?", Gakuto Mukahi, the resident acrobat, turned to his doubles partner with an annoyed look. They stopped by a tree and stood underneath its comforting shade.

Oshitari Yuushi glanced at him nonchalantly and shrugged, "Because he said so", before zipping up his regular's jersey with a single hand, the other clutching a romance book he'd been meaning to read during the break.

"Why did he have to bring that damn dog here anyway? Isn't that like.. against the school rules?!", huffed the redhead and crossed his arms.

"He's ATOBE..", the megane-wearing lad deadpanned.

"Oh, right."

"Let's just hope we..- or someone.. finds Beat sooner. This is taking up much of our morning practice time and Atobe won't let us rest until he sees his pet dog again", Oshitari looked around, but it was plain obvious that he's not really putting much effort into it. He sighed as his fingers traced the spine of his book. What a nuisance, he thought. If not for that diva, he could've finished half of it by now. Just when he's already at the part where the female protagonist is about to meet the man-

"Another mushy love story, Yuushi?", the redhead grimaced.

"It's not mushy, it's-"

Gakuto rolled his eyes and recited in a bored tone, "..A beautiful, passionate, well-written tale of love about two people who are destined for each other, yadda yadda, yeah sure, whatever." Placing his arms behind his head, he added, "But if you're so interested in those kinds of things, why not just find yourself a leading lady and sweep her off her feet? This is reality, you know. Unlike the events in your novels, no girl would just magically fall from the heavens and into your arms. That's just absurd."

Narrowing his orbs, Oshitari pointed out, "This is better than not reading at all, Gakuto."

"I just don't like to read, okay?"

"And I just love to, alright?"

The acrobat raised both arms and gave in, "Fine." Then he looked away, "So touchy when it comes to your books."

Once again, his doubles partner gave him a look that clearly stated that the conversation is over and said, "Come on, let's go find Beat and get this done and over with."

"But why do we even have to follow his order? This is not even relevant to Tennis!"

"So would you rather be at the courts where Atobe is and hear his speech about his special dog that must be so cold right now in this cruel, cruel-"

"BEAAAAAT! Where are ya, boy? Beat?!"

"I thought so."

...

But, unbeknownst to them, Atobe is not at the courts.. he's also looking for his dog. Imagine.. the Atobe Keigo looking for a dog..? A sight to see, indeed. If there's one thing he values next to Tennis, his God-given (generously given, he corrected) looks and wealth.. it is Beat. Not every dog in this world can match up to his impeccable taste and Beat is certainly special, just like his owner. Well, he intended to spend more time with his dog after what the veterinarian said about it being a bit depressed, but he just can't find the time since his weekends are also cramped up with appointments and such. So the solution? Bring Beat to school. It was a splendid idea at first.. but now he's starting to doubt it.

His face momentarily took on a worried expression but quickly fought it down.

"Beat is a smart dog.. he's just around here somewhere, na Kabaji?"

Silence.

Atobe clenched his jaws.

"Beat is just around here somewhere, right?"

Silence.

His left eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Right? Na, Kabaji?", And he turned.. only to find that no one was there. He almost sighed. Where's Kabaji when you need him? Ah, he nearly forgot, he also sent the gentle giant to search for Beat. Shaking his head, he strolled towards the window. From the fourth floor, he can almost see everything..

There is Ootori and Shishido, walking around the gym. But it seems like only Ootori is doing the searching.. That darn Shishido. And also, Hiyoshi and Taki, they're both on their way to the west wing of the campus. He can't see Oshitari and Gakuto but they might be at the east .. now where's Kabaji? Oh- there.. with Jirou on his back, fast asleep. Figures. It's a good thing that the students are still in ther classrooms, or else looking for Beat would've been more difficult.

His icy grey eyes continued to roam over the grounds, meticulously searching for a mass of white, fluffy fur- like what he saw just now on his far right- and sighed internally when he didn't find it. Woe is Atobe.. Really, where is- Hold up. What the- his orbs widened and he hurriedly shifted back his gaze to the school garden and THERE IT IS! Relief flooded him and he genuinely smiled.. There Beat is! One more minute and he would've called all of his servants to search the whole of Tokyo for the dog.. when something came to his notice.

He squinted his eyes a bit and focused his gaze on the figure chased by his beloved dog. Then he looked thoughtful and afterwards, smirked. "Looks like Beat has found a new playmate. She must be the one who has found ore-sama's dog", Atobe elegantly placed his hand on his chin and watched the amusing scene, totally uncaring of the fact that his teammates are still looking for Beat.

...

"Did you hear that, Shishido-san?", Ootori Choutaro whipped his head to his senpai who's just leaning against a wall.

Furrowing his brows, Shishido Ryou asked,"Hear what?"

"I-I thought I heard someone scream." The sophomore glanced around worriedly, "...A girl. You seriously didn't hear that?"

"Maybe you're just hearing things", answered his double partner and shrugged. "Let's get out of here, maybe someone already found that dog."

Ootori nodded, although he was still a little unsettled about what he heard. But he thought, maybe Shishido's right. He shouldn't let himself worry when there's nothing to get worried about. They started to walk, but then the younger one uttered, "You're not.. really fond of Beat, are you?"

"Do you know how many times I had to buy a new cap because of that demon dog?", Shishido said as they strode towards the north part of their campus. "And every single time he sees me, I end up bathing in dog saliva."

"Maybe he just likes you so much?", Ootori tried.

"No. That dog hates me and I know it. Like owner, like dog..", spoke the capped senpai, looking miffed.

The silver-haired lad had to stifle a chuckle, knowing that it might offend his senpai. But when he was just about to say what he thought about Beat's rather queer way of greeting Shishido, his eyes spotted something on the ground. As they got near it, Shishido continued to walk past it while he stopped and crouched down to pick it up.

His doubles partner finally noticed that Ootori is not beside him anymore so he whirled around and saw what the other is doing, "Oi, Choutaro? What's that?", and he pointed at the thing in the sophomore's hand.

Ootori bolted his head up and blinked, "Ah, umm, it's just a..", and he glanced down at the item he's now holding, which is quite familiar to him, he just can't remember where he'd seen it before, "..a ribbon."

...

"What will I do now?", Sakuno once again looked up, staring at the letter which is now hanging on a tree far above her, as if looking at it for a long time will do anything. A bark from behind her made her whirl around and she pouted.. oh, Kami. How did it get there? Just ask the white tail-wagging creature which is now beaming at her rather happily.. Okay, that dog is the root cause for all of this but Sakuno just can't seem to get mad at it. If only she's not in this predicament right now, she would've patted its head already. Obaa-chan.. what now?

She was walking around the Hyotei grounds, minding her own business when something suddenly jumped on her and she face-planted to the ground. Hard. Hurriedly, she backed away from whatever it is and broke into a run, fear taking over her senses. But the monster chased after her and when it was finally only inches away from her, it bit her bag (to make her stop running) and in an attempt to save it and the things inside, she pulled it from the dog and they launched a game of tug of war (which it seemed to quite enjoy). The small Sakuno against a gigantic dog.. quite obvious who was overpowered. In the end, her bag catapulted into the air and the contents of her bag flew out of it, including the letters. Everything happened pretty fast and next thing she knew, one of the letters' up there.

Could her luck get any worse? Oh well, at least the creature she thought that's going to eat her is not really that bad. It's actually cute. When it saw how sad she was (she was on the verge of tears), it suddenly lowered his head, like it was guilty. At first, she was still scared but when a few minutes passed and the dog made no move, she slowly went near it and it raised its head, giving her the ultimate puppy dog look that she actually melted. Then Sakuno realized that it just probably wanted to play.

After picking up her stuff that got scattered all around the place, including the other letter, the auburn-haired girl looked around for a rock to throw at the letter on the tree, and when she found one, she placed her bag on the ground, moved into a throwing position for momentum and flung it upwards.. but instead of making it fall, it only flew upwards and landed on a higher bunch of leaves. "Again..", she muttered and repeated the same action.. but Lady Luck just isn't on her side today. Twice, thrice.. Again and again and again.. Until she got tired and she just slumped on the ground, a forlorn look etched on her face. "Mou..", she turned to her left, and saw the dog. It nuzzled her shoulder and emitted a cute sound, as if it was apologizing. Sakuno, touched by its gesture, smiled and brushed its head fondly, "It's okay.. I'll find a way, don't worry."

...

Atobe's smirk got even wider at the girl's pathetic attempts. Her throws are either so weak.. the letter won't even budge or too strong that it only transferred from one branch to another. (How he saw that it was a letter even from that distance, no one will ever know) Why not just give up already and ask someone for help?

He raised his brows when she slumped and shrugged, 'She's giving up', he thought. But a smile made its way onto his lips as he saw Beat's action towards the girl, and the girl's response to the dog. Actually, Beat is not that open towards other people, especially girls since it always sees how girls flock around its master. How curious..

Atobe moved to leave the window when the girl suddenly sprung up and he stopped. Slowly, he went back to the window and eyed them again. Amused, he spoke, "Such strong will, eh?"

...

Sakuno stood up and lifted her eyes to the letter that's now tauntingly moving with the wind. With renewed determination, she walked to the tree and punched her fist into the air, "I can do this. I can do this!", and with that, she started to climb the tree while Beat barked and cheered her on. She raised her left arm and held on to a branch, her right foot placed on a part that helped support her weight. The auburn head continued on her struggle until she was finally on the upper part and covered with leaves.

...

Oshitari heard a series of barks.

"Yuushi! It's Beat!", and apparently, so did Gakuto. Without another word, the both of them followed the sound and moments later, saw the all-important dog they've been looking for. It's barking loudly at something..

Oshitari pushed his glasses up and shook his head, a relieved smile on his lips "There you are, you dog. Come now before your master hyperventilates."

The red headed lad petted its head fondly and uttered, "Come on, Beat."

But the dog didn't listen to them and just continued to bark, which made the two blink and look at what it's looking at. "A tree?", the Hyotei Tensai observed.

Gakuto tilted his head, "Eh, what's with the tree?"

"Maybe it's seeing something we can't see..", Oshitari suggested which made his doubles partner give him an alarmed look.

"Oi! What do you mean?!"

The blue-haired lad smirked at him, "Who knows?"

"YUUSHI!"

But Oshitari just chuckled and strode towards the tree. "Let's see..", he stopped beside it, looked up.. and froze. He was just standing there, rooted to his spot like a statue with his orbs fixed on something until Gakuto can wait no longer. He didn't notice the tint of red that started to spread on the Tensai's face and he too, also went to the tree and followed the other boy's trail of gaze.

"What's got you so-", and soon after, the red-haired lad's face became as red as his hair.

...

"Just a little bit more.. Just a bit more..", Sakuno's fingers are outstretched, reaching for the letter she needs to deliver. She moved her foot slightly to the right, which is dangerously fragile and it seems like that part of the bark she's stepping on will break anytime now. The girl gulped but still, she can't just back down.

More.. More.. There.. And-

"YUUSHI!"

Startled, Sakuno's eyes amplified in shock.

"Let's see.." then footsteps.

Her heartbeat rose.. someone's coming! She immediately moved to reach for the letter.. it was kind of abrupt though..

"What's got you so-"

And before she knew it.. CRACK!

"Aah!", she yelped as the bark finally crumbled and she slid down. Oh dear God, why?!

...

"Did you hear that? Someone screamed again!", asked Ootori who looked around. He and Shishido came across Kabaji who was carrying Jirou a little while ago so the four of them decided to just look together (well, three because Jirou didn't really have any say about it).

Kabaji Munehiro, as always, answered, "Usu."

And at the same time, Shishido nodded and pondered, "I can hear some barks too! What do you think's happening?"

Out of the blue, Akutagawa Jirou, who's still sleeping on Kabaji's back, mumbled something which surprised all of them. "Dunno.. Maybe someone fell off a tree..", and he chuckled.. while still sleeping.

"Senpai.. sleep talks..?", Ootori gaped at the narcoleptic boy.

The other half of the Silver pair shrugged flamboyantly, "Happens all the time." Then he pointed at the direction of the sounds, "Come on, let's check it out."

...

Sakuno thought that she's finished.. that she has finally come to the end of her short life but when she felt the pair of warm, sturdy arms that caught her just in time.. a smile took form on her face. Oh Lady Luck, you have finally come around!

But when she opened her eyes.. she wished she shouldn't have and that Lady Luck should've just turned her back on her. Because according to the jersey her savior is wearing.. a Hyotei regular just saw that stupid stunt she did. A HYOTEI REGULAR.

The tall, bespectacled boy's eyes never left hers.. and she wanted to just crawl into a hole and die. They continued to stare at each other, not really knowing what to say after what just occurred. But all of a sudden, a smile made its way unto Oshitari's lips. Her face suddenly began to heat up and out of embarrassment, she hid her face and blurted out a, "G-Gomen!"

But the only reply she got is a deep, velvety chuckle. Sakuno's heart raced as nervousness took over her. When Oshitari saw how uneasy she is, he spoke softly, "It's okay, no worries." He tilted his head to get a better look at her face and noticed something. "Ah, I think you're hurt. You've got a bruise there on your chin."

The auburn head blinked.. she didn't even feel anything. She must've got it when the dog suddenly glomped her. "A-Ano..", she didn't know what to say but when she realized that he's carrying her, kicked herself mentally and muttered a, "Domo.. A-Arigatou."

"You're welcome."

And once again, an awkward silence enveloped them and Sakuno tried hard not to look at him because he just kept on staring at her while looking as if he's pondering over something.

"You can put her down now, Yuushi." A voice rang behind them and Sakuno craned her neck to see a red-haired boy wearing the same regular's jersey as the lad who's holding her. Come to think of it, they both look familiar. Aren't they the doubles pair that played against the golden pair? Oshi.. umm.. She's not really good with names. The girl then noticed that the redhead's face is crimson red all over and she wondered if he was alright. He's that acrobatic player that challenged Kikumaru-senpai, right? And he paired up with the orange-haired guy against Inui-senpai and Kaidou-senpai during the nationals.

Chuckles escaped the blue-haired lad's lips, "Very well." Then he moved to gently put her down, supporting her until she's balanced on her own two feet. Sakuno's blush deepened at his gesture.. he must really think that she's a klutz!

"H-Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu..", and she bowed, her braids dangling behind her cutely. A thought came to her mind as she did that. Oh no, two Hyotei regulars witnessed her spectacular feat. This is just too embarrassing.

Oshitari whipped his head to Gakuto (who's still blushing madly) and shook his head, then subtly pointed at the tree. The girl is embarrassed enough.. she doesn't have to know that they saw something they're not supposed to see a while ago. It was cute though, he thought. Pink with little bunnies all over it. The blue-haired lad smiled to himself, but then stopped. Enough thinking about sinfully cute underwears.

"What were you doing there, by the way? That's really high up.. and pretty dangerous." Oshitari eyed her school uniform and frowned slightly.. it looked like she'd been harassed because of the dirt on it. Right, Beat must've done this. "You're not from around here, are you? That uniform looks familiar." It really does because they've often come across with Seigaku students, something's missing though.

Sakuno, upon hearing the inquiry, instantly remembered her task and she turned her gaze back to the tree. "H-Hai.."

Oshitari's brows shot up and he wondered, the most common reason why girls from other schools visit their campus is.. "Are you..", he studied her carefully, "..a fan of Atobe?"

A pity then.

Gakuto suddenly turned his eyes to her, that cute girl's a fan of Atobe? Shoot. Then he blinked. Whoa- he considered her cute? Well, if you look at her, she really is cute. With that big, chocolate brown eyes of hers, auburn braids and.. wow, her cheeks are so pink. She looked like an innocent little lamb.. a breath of fresh air from the girls he sees everyday with their faces covered with chemicals. Yeah, he prefers girls who are more like.. her. It's just that.. it's just too awkward now that he's seen what's inside her skirt.

"Eh?! N-No! I'm- I..", she flailed her arms around her, which made Oshitari smile and Gakuto blush more. "The- The letter!", and she pointed at the tree.

Both boys glanced at the tree and after a few seconds, realized why she was up there a while ago. The redhead, who seemed to have recovered a bit, exclaimed, "How in the world did that get there?!", then promptly shut his mouth as the girl started to fidget uncomfortably. Then she turned her head to her right and glimpsed at Beat.

Oh. And realization dawned on them.

"Beat..", the Tensai smirked at the dog. "You're just like your master, aren't you? Well..", he turned to the girl, "We've been looking for him for quite some time now and I'm sorry for this." Atobe should be the one apologizing, he thought.

Sakuno nodded as she glanced at Beat and sighed.. so she's going to climb it again? Mou, she almost got it, if only-

"If it's really that important..", Sakuno and Oshitari turned to look at the acrobat as he looked away, avoiding her eyes, "Then I'll go get it."

And before the girl can even say anything, Gakuto has already gone to the tree and effortlessly jumped, hung on a branch, crawled a bit and VOILA! He swiped the letter off the leaves and gracefully landed on his feet, his red hair swaying as he did.

"H-How did.. You-", Sakuno stuttered but as the acrobat lifted his hand to show the letter to her.. her face turned into one of awe and she smiled happily, "A-Arigatou!", She thought before that he's quite cocky because of the way he treated her senpai but she guessed he's not so bad after all.

"I-It's nothing, really..", Gakuto's blush is back again, full force and Oshitari quirked an eyebrow.

The auburn-haired girl gratefully took it and just like what she did earlier, bowed in front of Gakuto. The blue-haired lad stared at the letter and asked, "If you're not a fan of Atobe, then I guess you're here to deliver that?", at the girl's nod, he inquired again, "Who's it for? We might be able to help you."

"I-It's for Sakaki Tarou-sensei.."

"Sakaki-sensei?", someone piped up and the three snapped their heads to the source of the voice and saw three figures walking towards them (the fourth is still in his dreamland filled with Pocky's). "That's our coach", continued the lad with the blue cap. "What happened here?", and his eyes swept over the girl who looked like she'd been through a lot. She blushed under his gaze and when he realized it, quickly shifted his orbs towards Oshitari and Gakuto- Why's he so red?

"Beat!", Ootori exclaimed and Shishido twitched as he heard it. His kouhai went over to the dog and proceeded to pet it. "Where've you been? Everyone was worried about you!"

"Not everyone", Shishido commented. Wait- everything clicked into place- Beat must've done something to the girl. He knows he's so fast in blaming the dog for the girl's messed up appearance but just look at that giant white ball of fur that loves to attack him and chew on his precious cap! "So you guys found him, huh?"

Oshitari smirked, knowing Shishido's not-so-good relationship with Beat, "Pretty much." He turned to Sakuno, "They're our teammates, by the way. Shishido Ryou, Ootori Choutaro, Kabaji Munehiro and the sleeping one is Akutagawa Jirou", he said while pointing at each of them. "And I'm Oshitari Yuushi and this is Gakuto Mukahi."

The girl nodded and gave them a shy smile, "Ah, I'm.. R-Ryuzaki Sakuno, from Seigaku. Y-Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu..", and her blush went up a notch, earning her amused looks from them. Her shy demeanor is something of a rarity in Hyotei, a school filled with people full of confidence..-oh, well, too much confidence.

Gakuto cleared his throat, "Y-You-"

Shishido whispered to Oshitari, a little surprised, "Did he just stutter?"

"Yes. Yes, he did."

"-said something about our coach, right? The.. letter?"

Sakuno perked up, "H-Hai. I'm here to.. deliver this letter to him." Then she held it up for them to see.

"We'll just deliver it for you then, to compensate for the trouble Beat caused you", Oshitari offered with a kind smile.

"B-But-"

"It's fine. We'll be seeing him later anyway", he assured her.

The girl felt as if a heavy rock was lifted from her and she bowed again in appreciation,

"Thank you so much!", and she gave the letter to Oshitari. Who said that the Hyotei people are scary? They're actually nice!

"And sorry for what Beat did to you. He's always like that, na Shishido?", the blue-haired Tensai asked his teammate, and only received a glare in response.

"Umm, ne, are you really alright?", Ootori walked to her, a worried look on his features. He'd been staring at her for a while now because of the nasty bruise she has on her chin. "I don't think you should just leave it like that", then he took something out of his bag. A band-aid, a bottle of water and a hand towel.

"I-It doesn't really hurt that much-"

"But it might get infected or something", then the silver-haired boy removed the cap off the bottle and soaked the towel a little.

"Just let him do it", Shishido urged. He knows how much of a worry-wart the boy is. But he didn't notice the odd look Gakuto gave him..

Ootori smiled at her and raised the towel to her chin, gently cleaning her bruise. He reminded her of Oishi-senpai who'd always fret whenever he sees her falling flat into the ground. She figured that there must be a mother hen in every team. His hands were so tender that she didn't even feel any sting or pain. He slowly laid the band-aid over it and afterwards, sighed in relief, "There. All better."

He's really like Oishi-senpai and that put her at ease with him. "A-Arigatou!", she thanked him with a soft smile that seemed to have caught him off guard, seeing it from a close range. His cheeks turned pink as he rubbed the back of his head shyly.

And since they are going to be the ones to give the letter to Sakaki-sensei, it means that her job here is done! With another bow (she bows too much, Oshitari mused), she bid them goodbye (including Beat who looked kinda sad to see her go) and prepared to leave. But then the dog followed her and the Hyotei regulars gaped.

"Oi, Beat!"

Sakuno whirled around and saw the white dog behind her. She stopped in her tracks and smiled, "Eh?", she patted its head affectionately, "It was nice to meet you, Beat. But I have to go now." The dog bowed its head sadly and sounded like it was crying. The girl didn't know what to do.. while the boys just stood there, watching them. This is the first time Beat actually liked a person aside from them. A girl, nonetheless. "E-Eto.. Maybe.. I could visit you sometimes ne? I'm sorry we can't play today, but promise, I'll visit you!"

The most peculiar thing was.. it was as if the dog understood her and suddenly barked happily. Sakuno heaved a sigh and once again, said her goodbye.

'Maybe.. this day won't turn out so bad after all..'

She left with a bounce in her steps, not knowing that she just made a promise to a dog owned by Atobe Keigo.

...

Atobe's orbs intently followed the girl's diminishing figure, with a shadow of a smile on his lips. Something in her sparked his interest. Just a little. He wondered who she is.. but he can always get the information from Kabaji. It's a pity that she had to leave already; he was quite enjoying the scene. Except for the part where she fell, what she did was dangerous. He would've gone down but then he saw Oshitari and Gakuto arrive. She climbed the tree even though it was three times her height. He'll give her that.

This is quite amusing.

And when the girl finally disappeared from his sight, he turned away from the window and strode to the door, his mind still on the girl with the long, auburn braids.

...

"Keep that dog away from me", said Shishido as he narrowed his eyes at Beat. They're now walking back to the courts.

Gakuto smirked, "He just wants to play. Right, Beat?"

The dog barked a tad too merrily and the capped boy glared.

"Don't start with me, Gakuto." Shishido folded his arms, then he said slyly, "Oh, I remember. Why were you so red awhile ago?"

The acrobat froze as an image of her.. err- his cheeks once again flushed.

"It's none of your business! Beat..", he pointed at Shishido, "Fetch!"

Beat, always happy to be of service to his master's friends, complied with a bark and moved to glomp one of his favorite pals.

"OI! DAMN IT, GAKUTOOOO! MY FREAKIN' CAP! OI! BEAT! GET OFF ME!"

"Just like what you always say: Gekidasa daze, Shishido!"

Ootori sighed, looks like Shishido's going to need to buy another cap again. He started to move towards the two to help his senpai when Oshitari's voice stopped him.

"She said she's from Seigaku, right?", the Tensai spoke.

The others (except for Shishido who's still fighting for his dear cap) turned to look at him and he continued, "I just noticed..", he placed a finger on his chin, "As far as I can remember, the Seigaku school uniform for girls has a ribbon in front, right?", his keen eyes noticed earlier that there was something missing in her uniform. She didn't look the type of student who won't wear her uniform accordingly.

Ootori immediately halted and remembered the pink ribbon he has in his pocket.

"Maybe Beat ripped it?", the redhead suggested.

"Maybe."

The sophomore inserted his right hand inside his pocket and felt its fabric. It means.. this is hers? Maybe he can return it to her some other day? Yosh. A small smile took form on his lips. He'll just go see her and ask her if it really is hers. But for some reason.. he didn't feel like telling the others that he has her ribbon.

They continued to stroll to the courts (again, except for Shishido who now began to run away as the giant dog started to chase him). But when the others became too occupied with other things and were out of earshot, Oshitari glanced at his doubles partner and said, "What do you know, Gakuto.."

The acrobat whipped his head to him and the Tensai smirked lazily, "A girl did fall from the heavens." Gakuto's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what Oshitari was referring to, "..and into my arms. A girl with nice legs at that, Gakuto."

Damn right, that girl had a really nice pair of legs. Who said romance novels are absurd?

...

Sakuno bit her lip as the train stopped. It's not like she hadn't done this before. It's just that.. Tomo-chan was with her when she first delivered a letter there, and they only had to take it to a teacher. But now, this is the first time she's going to give a letter to the Rikkaidai tennis club. They don't have a coach so apparently, she's gonna have to give it directly to their captain. She gulped.

She'd gone to Hyotei a lot of times before that's why she didn't have any problem going there (the bus she was riding almost passed the right stop though) but Rikkaidai.. she can only hope that she won't mess this up.

Sakuno's chocolate brown orbs darted towards the glass windows of the train and she stilled. Wait.. where's her ribbon?

...

Sakaki tore open the envelope as the Hyotei regulars continued with their morning drills and proceeded to read the letter. He wondered what Sumire wanted them to know that she even had to send her own granddaughter to deliver it.

'_To whom it may concern, Finally, the nationals is over..'_

And his brows knitted as he continued to read it. Then he wore a thoughtful look.. and after a few moments of contemplation, Sakaki fished his phone out of his pocket and dialled the Seigaku coach's number. This should be interesting, he thought.

...

TBC

...

Sneak peek for Chapter Two:

"NIOU MASAHARU!", Sanada bellowed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A lot of the students watched the commotion in the hallway, some even began laughing openly at Sakuno. Because of the noise, the door to the student council room went open and a familiar face emerged, it's Yukimura, followed by Yagyuu and they were both baffled. That just proves it, the 'Yagyuu' he talked to earlier was Niou!

The auburn-haired girl looked away, her face burning with embarrassment. She suddenly wanted to get out of there. But with all these people around her, she can't seem to find the energy to move. Her drenched uniform sticked to her skin and she didn't even notice that it quite exposed her chest. Her lips quivered as she felt all their stares- when a yellow jacket was suddenly wrapped around her. Out of surprise, she looked up.. and met Sanada's hard yet reassuring eyes.

From afar, Niou's lids narrowed. Crap, that girl spoiled his plan.

...

A/N:

Thank you so much for reading! What do you guys think? Please review :) This will be a total reverse harem, 'kay? I love writing those kind of stories. And I haven't decided yet on who she's going to end up with. Help me decide? I have a poll, you can vote there. If the name of the prince you want her to be with isn't included, just PM me or put it on the review.

About Syuusuke-kun's letter, I'm gonna have to abandon it. Sorry for that. I wanted to do something to it but then it'll change the storyline so in the end, I decided this is the best thing to do. I had to think about this for like a long time. Darn.

And for Ryuzaki Sakuno Tales, my USB got formatted. Even my Tenimyu collection! Double darn. Aw, I'll have to start from scratch. Again. I hate rewriting. It's not as fun as writing it the first time.

Rikkaidai is next! Gosh, I fell in love with them because of the Prince of Tennis musicals! Masataka Nakagauchi is freakin' hot! Please review, I really need your opinions. Pretty please?


	2. The invitation letter for Rikkai

Chapter Two-

The invitation letter for Rikkai

...

**Looking back, I'd say if it weren't for them, my life would've stayed normal. I wouldn't have had to experience a lot of things that was.. really hard to deal with. I wouldn't have had to cry.. nor make other people cry. **

**But the new world they brought me into was the best thing that happened to me. There were pain and tears.. but there were also laughter, smiles and happy memories that came along with their arrival, even though it turned my world upside down. And I'm thankful.. because of them, my life had more meaning. I do not regret even a single second I spent with them.. my friends.**

**I wonder if they're looking at the sunset as I do now. The view up here is amazing.**

...

Sakuno aimlessly wandered around the vast Rikkai campus, her hand anxiously clutching the letter she has to deliver. After the long train ride to Kanagawa, she proceeded to a bus and tried to follow (emphasis on 'tried') her Obaa-chan's instructions that she wrote on a paper. But then, when Sakuno was just about to pat herself on the back because she thought that she'd be arriving earlier than expected, something reached her ears and she began to panic. Yep, as per usual, she got on the wrong bus. And so, she had to go all the way back to the train station because the bus she rode went on an entirely opposite direction. She almost smacked herself for her stupidity but it's not her fault she was born a bit directionally-challenged. Umm, okay, not just a bit. Other people are just luckier than her. Or at least that's what she keeps telling herself.

To make things short, she rode the wrong bus twice and got off the wrong stop thrice. Sakuno nearly gave up and was very, very tempted to call her Obaa-chan. Well, she did. But her cell phone battery died. Talk about unlucky.. She wondered if Sengoku-san from Yamabuki will be so kind as to share a bit of his luck.

She only wanted to deliver this letter and go home, is that so bad? That's a pretty easy task actually and it could've gone without a hitch but noooooo.. Lady Luck just had to pick on her today. Maybe that fickle entity has some sort of a grudge against her.

Well.. Rikkaidai is not so bad. There are a lot of trees around and she can just smell the scent of freshness in the air, the buildings are admirable and the students' uniforms are really great. She felt a slight envy.. their uniform is a lot better than Seigaku's. But she can't let that make her feel down, she has to live up to her Seigaku pride.

The auburn head plopped down on a bench, her long, auburn braids bouncing behind her and reflected about the things that occurred today while taking out her Bentou box. Hyotei was.. odd. In a good way. But still odd- they allow dogs in the school! Demo.. Beat is really adorable. So that means it's not only Seigaku that has their fair share of craziness. She was glad to meet the other regulars of the renowned school for the rich. They were nice.. but she's gladder that she didn't come across their captain. Nope, she wouldn't know how to handle him and his oversized ego.

It's almost time for the Rikkaidai tennis club's afternoon practice. For sure, they're training hard. They're RIKKAIDAI, after all.

...

Kirihara Akaya snored as he moved his left arm and placed it over his chest. The tree he's currently sleeping under provided a nice and comfortable shade. He slept with not even the slightest bit of care for his English class. Screw it.

So the bratling continued to sleep.. and sleep.. and sleep.. not knowing that in a matter of seconds, something, or rather, someone is about to come and rock his world.

...

Meanwhile in Seigaku..

Fuji Syusuke tilted his head in confusion, the hand holding his bottle of water stopping halfway from reaching his lips.

"Are? What's wrong, Fujiko?", asked Kikumaru Eiji who sat beside him, with mild curiosity in his cat-like eyes.

The brunette lad slightly furrowed his brows.. but shook his head.

"I just had.. a very unpleasant thought."

...

The auburn-haired girl sneezed out of the blue.

Shrugging it off, she opened her Bentou box and smiled at the sight of her onigiri's. Sure she's not the best cook in the world but she's quite proud of her cooking skills. She made up in her ability to cook a decent meal what she lacked in her sense of direction. So, feeling her tummy starting to complain inside her, the girl picked one and moved to bite it when..

"Nnnnh.."

..a sudden whimper made her halt.

Sakuno blinked.. there's no one around. So it couldn't possibly be- she visibly gulped. Maybe her ears are just playing tricks on her. She had quite a long day, she's just tired. Of course. That's all. There couldn't possibly be a ghost there just waiting for a chance to attack her and take her to the underworld, right? Of course, silly Sakuno.

Feeling a bit uneasy, she opened her mouth again to finally have a taste of her late lunch when another whimper came out of nowhere. This time, it's a tad louder and she dropped her onigiri back to the box in surprise. Then she quickly checked behind her and after seeing that no one's there, tried to get herself to relax. Nothing to worry about, no one's around-..her eyes widened as she realized that that is scarier. No one is around yet she's hearing someone whimper?

Putting down her Bentou box on the bench, she slowly rose with her bag slung on her shoulder and her chocolate brown orbs roamed around her. A few moments passed and there was nothing but silence. With a sigh of relief, the lassie once again sat- Another whimper and she bolted up in fright. Kami-sama, please don't do that!

But the whimper was followed by another one.. and another one! Sakuno wanted to run away, scared out of her wits but the tone of the whimper confused her and she stayed rooted to her spot. Whoever or whatever it is, it sounded like it's afraid of something.

Instinctively, she searched for its source, her initial fear fading, just a little though. If it's not a ghost (Kami, please don't let it be a ghost), then it might be someone who needs help and it's just human nature to help others, right? Mustering her courage, she stepped into the part covered with trees. It sounded like it was coming from there!

And as she went nearer, the sound got louder up to the point where she easily determined the source of the strange sound. Oddly, it seems like it's from behind that tree. A shiver crawled down her spine; her Obaa-chan told her something about this before! A girl's soul lingers around the tree where she hanged herself and she lures people there and when she has them cornered, she will.. she will.. get them to hang themselves as well-.. but as far as she can remember, that ghost story happened somewhere near Shibuya. Demo, what if this has a ghost too? Should she run now? But what if it's-

"Nnnnh.. No.."

That sounded like a guy. A boy ghost?

'Mou, stop it, Sakuno! No ghost will show up in broad daylight..!', she berated herself mentally. Heaving a deep breath, she dragged her foot to the other side of the tree. Here comes nothing..

No one. There's absolutely no one, she thought but a snore suddenly erupted and her chocolate brown orbs instantly shifted to the ground.. where a raven-haired boy lies asleep.

...

Seigaku..

"Is Fuji really okay?", Oishi Syuichiroh asked his doubles partner while casting worried glances at the Tensai who was emitting quite a dark aura. The other club members took a step away from him as to avoid his wrath.

Kikumaru casually placed his arms behind him, "Fujiko's been like that since this morning. I even heard him mumble something about crushing Oshitari Yuushi of Hyotei."

...

Everything was dark and scary.

"No, Niou-senpai, that's mine!"

"Then come and get it, brat!"

Five year-old Kirihara chased after his senpai, his orbs fixed on the teddy bear Niou had in his arms. That was his mom's gift for him last Christmas! No.. He's going to burn it, nooo!

...

Sakuno gaped a little at the sight. He seems familiar but she just can't put a finger on it. She went closer and stared at him intently.. when a memory suddenly struck her. Black, seaweed-like hair.. Isn't he the one who goes into demon mode? The scary guy who hurt Inui-senpai last nationals? Startled at the realization, she stepped away with a look of alarm on her face. It's him!

"Nnnnh.. Please don't.."

The auburn head stood still. Is he.. Is he having a nightmare? Growing curious, she glanced at the boy's face.. and froze. She can't believe it, was he really that guy? Because right now, staring at him, she can't help but think that..

He looks like an angel when asleep.

But her thoughts were cut when a frown marred his face and a whimper once again escaped his lips.

...

"Give it back, Niou-senpai! That's mine!"

"Puri."

The stuffed toy flew into the air and Kirihara's forest green eyes widened.

...

Should she wake him? Worry seeped through her but she didn't know if it's the right thing to do. He might get angry if she disturbs him.. but he looks like he really, really needs to wake up. Battling herself internally, she went nearer and crouched down.

He doesn't look anywhere near that demon she saw on the courts. Up close, he actually looks.. nice.

"Nnnh.. That's mine.."

That's it, he needs to wake up.

Sakuno slowly made a reach for his arm, intent on waking up the raven-haired boy.

...

Why do they always have to do this to him?!

Running for the teddy bear, Kirihara raised his hands up in the air, jumped and..

...

Sakuno almost let out a yelp when all of a sudden, his left hand shot up and grabbed hers! And before she can even make a move, he pulled her down and she fell into the ground beside him, her auburn braids flying behind her. Then his arms engulfed her in a tight hug.

"Gotcha..", he muttered and buried his face onto her soft hair.

...

Seigaku..

Fuji flashed open his cerulean blue eyes and Momoshiro Takeshi stumbled back.

"Eh.. S-Senpai?"

"Saa.. Let's start the match now."

The sophomore gazed at his other Senpai-tachi for help.. but none of them were looking. Poor Momo.

...

Kirihara smiled happily.. his teddy bear smells so good! Kaa-san must've washed it!

He loves it so much and if Niou-senpai thought that he can take it away from him, then he's wrong..

The darkness around him disappeared and was replaced by a strange kind of light. Kirihara didn't mind though.. it was nice. So he tightened his embrace on his bear and sighed contentedly.

"This is mine, Niou-senpai.. Mine."

...

"..Mine."

The auburn-haired girl's blood rushed up to her face and she squeaked. She only wanted to wake him up, why did this have to happen?!

Sakuno raised her head and peered at his face, it seems like he's still dozing off. Now, how can she get herself out of this? Think, Sakuno, think! She bit her lower lip and returned her gaze to him. Ah, he's smiling.. and the girl felt her cheeks heat up so much, she's sure she looked like a tomato.

She needs to wake him up. Now.

...

Kirihara felt something tug on his arm and he knitted his brows.. but it was still not enough to wake him from his slumber. Deciding to ignore it, he hugged his bear closer and nuzzled its neck. His teddy bear smells so sweet today..

But then the said 'bear' suddenly emitted what sounded like a squeak and he frowned.

"Onegai..", it spoke.

IT SPOKE?!

Willing himself to wake up, he slowly opened his forest green orbs to see what's up with his teddy bear. And when light has finally entered his field of vision, he suddenly felt his cheeks burn and his heart thrashed wildly inside his chest.. as a beautiful pair of large, chocolate brown eyes welcomed him.

...

"Brat's late for practice..", Niou Masaharu observed as he scanned the number of regulars in the room while placing his school uniform into his locker. "Classes are now over."

Kuwahara Jackal gave him a side-glance and spoke, "Sanada already sent Marui to look for him. Maybe he overslept again", before putting on his jersey.

"Or maybe..", a smirk plastered itself on the trickster's lips, "..He's on a date."

Yagyuu Hiroshi skeptically raised an eyebrow but decided not to get himself involved. He prefers to have a nice, peaceful afternoon practice without having to deal with his friend's antics. Yukimura Seiichi merely smiled at the idea.. the baby of Rikkaidai on a date? Now that's interesting. But he knows it's not likely to happen at the moment.

"Buchou, I strongly suggest..", Niou wore a serious look that could've fooled other people, "..that we, as his Senpai-tachi, teach him about the birds and the bees before it's too late."

Yagyuu simply looked horrified, his face reddening all of a sudden. He guessed he won't get that nice and peaceful afternoon practice he so wanted. Jackal's expression was in between shock and amusement. Sanada, whose face has also turned a bit pink, twitched but didn't let it get the best of him because he wanted no part in it, Yanagi appeared thoughtful like he was really contemplating about it and Yukimura just continued to smile serenely, although there was a hint of puzzlement in his blue eyes. "And why do you think we should do that?"

"Because he's the next captain and it'll be a hassle if he gets someone pregnant before the next nationals. Besides, if we're already gone, who's going to enlighten him?"

Yanagi Renji nodded (to Sanada's utter bewilderment) and commented, "I actually think Niou's right." But he knows that if anyone should educate Kirihara about it, it should NEVER be Niou.

Niou looked triumphant right then and there.

"I think you scarred him enough, Niou", the Brazilian tried to be the voice of reason, "Yanagi, I know you meant nothing bad and that you're just considering the best for Kirihara but..", he glanced at Niou, "..Don't you think he should learn it when he's ready?"

Niou looked like he was still going to say something when Yagyuu interjected, "Niou-kun, please refrain from inflicting more damage to Kirihara-kun's innocent mi-"

"You call him innocent? He knows how to friggin' pick a lock."

"You taught him."

Niou grinned and Sanada almost made a reach for his bottle of aspirins. He's in for a long day.

...

Kirihara's heart pounded as he continued on staring at her. His blush started to spread from his cheeks unto his whole face and it only worsened when he noticed how dangerously close his lips are to her pink one's.

Still entranced, his arms loosened its hold on her and in that second, she jerked away from him and took off, her face just as red as his.

The boy's orbs followed her and he released the breath he didn't know he held. "What the..", he gulped and placed his hand above his chest that was still throbbing, "..heck just happened?"

...

The red-faced Sakuno ran away.. forgetting the fact that the raven-haired boy she just saw is a Rikkai regular and that she could've asked him if he knew where his Buchou is.

And also, she forgot her Bentou on the bench.

...

Marui Bunta sauntered around, his pink orbs darting from one place to another. Surely, Akaya's just here somewhere. Darn, he should've just dragged Jackal with him. Irked, he spat out his gum and was just about to turn on his heels when something caught his attention.

The red-haired Rikkai genius walked closer until he finally confirmed that what he saw are Onigiri's indeed. Oh, merciful heavens..

Wait, who left these here? He looked around to make sure if the owner's there or if there were other people around. Well.. whoever left this probably won't mind if he takes one, right? He's quite hungry after all that walking he had to do just to find their bratling. It would've been better though if it was a cake. He's not that crazy for onigiri's as he is crazy for cakes but this would suffice.

Picking up a single one, he noted that it looked really simple and that there was nothing special about it. He then moved to bite it and as soon as his tongue was graced by its taste, he went rigid.. and a smile of wonder formed on his face.

...

Sanada crossed his arms, irritated. Kirihara and Marui are still nowhere to be seen and it's only a matter of minutes before even Yukimura's patience also snaps. And they all know that a pissed Yukimura is a bad Yukimura.

The other regulars were doing some stretching when a loud voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Kirihara-senpai?! You saw him making-out?!"

"Keep it down, will you?"

All of their heads bolted to the source of the voice: a freshman member being hushed by his fellow first year in a court near them. Jackal's eyes bulged out in shock. Never in his life did he thought that he'd hear the words 'Kirihara' and 'Making-out' in one sentence. Well, not at least while they're in middle school. Yanagi was also surprised but his perpetually closed orbs helped him mask it. He had no data about this and he absolutely didn't foresee this coming. Yagyuu would've gawked but of course, he is a gentleman so it's a no-no. Therefore he just settled with adjusting his glasses in a rather hasty manner.

"What is this I heard about Akaya making-out?", came Yukimura's seemingly pleasant voice (emphasis on 'seemingly') as he strode towards the freshmen and left his teammates.

Genuinely surprised, Niou turned to his teammates, "I told you we should teach Aka-chan about the birds and the bees!", and nodded sagely.

"Tarundoru!"

And before Sanada can even slap Niou into the depths of inferno, Marui came strolling to them with a confused-looking Kirihara tailing behind him. The red head issued them a questioning glance but Jackal just shook his head.

"Birds and bees?", the sophomore inquired but his Senpai-tachi just stared at him and he felt awkward. "What?"

"Kirihara-kun..", Yagyuu started delicately, "Why were you late?"

For a moment, the boy looked embarrassed and they almost concluded that perhaps the freshman was telling the truth but then Marui spoke, "He overslept. I found him sitting under a tree and he looked like he just woke up."

Oh. So he just overslept again. Wow, that freshman almost got them there for a second. Sanada noted to admonish them later for making up such rumors while Yanagi rejoiced internally, his data's not wrong, he can relax now.

"Gomen, Fukubuchou." The raven-haired boy bowed nervously to Sanada who's now wearing a dark scowl.

"You.. How many times have I told you that-"

"Akaya..", and they snapped their heads to their blue-haired Buchou who just ended his interrogation with the first years. Kirihara inwardly thanked him for coming to his rescue. Yukimura eyed his Kouhai with an amused look, and the seaweed head noticed that there was a peculiar glint in his blue orbs, "60 laps around the court now. Renji, you may go to the second years and the rest will do the usual 30 laps." When the sophomore didn't move, he uttered, "Go."

"H-Hai!", and Kirihara quickly dashed out of there and ran his laps with his school uniform on, a bit perplexed as to why his Buchou let him off easily. Oh well, he'd always been Yukimura's favorite.

"You didn't even question him." Sanada gave him a look of query but his best friend just chuckled warmly. He wondered what those first years told Yukimura. Resignedly, he went with Yanagi to supervise the training of the second years.

The others, glad that everything's cleared ('xcept Niou.. he was having fun seeing their reactions), started to run their laps and it was not long before they reached Kirihara. He looked thoughtful and Niou's sharp eyes didn't fail to notice the pink tint that appeared on his cheeks. Hmm.. What is this?

"Oi, Marui, you okay? You seem out of it", Jackal's concerned voice piqued his interest and he turned to see the Fatso blinking as if he just snapped from his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Don't mind me."

The trickster knitted his eyebrows.

"I almost forgot..", Kirihara jogged beside them, "..What were you talking about earlier?", he trained his eyes on his Senpai-tachi, "Birds and bees?"

The gentleman cleared his throat while his doubles partner didn't even try to hide his sly smirk. Jackal sighed while Marui shifted his eyes to his teammates. Why were they talking about that? He then looked at Niou.. and grinned. The red head said, "You know brat, I'd explain it to you, but your brain would explode."

"Eh?! What do you mean by that?"

Niou offered, "Do you really want to know?"

The raven-haired lad gazed at him suspiciously but.. he was really curious. He heard those words before: The birds and the bees. But every time he tries to ask his parents, they'd always say that they're busy or he's too young. Why is it that his Senpai knows and he doesn't? They're only a year older than him! Injustice!

So, he foolishly nodded. Foolish indeed.

"Well then, I'll take the honor of educating you."

Yagyuu can only do nothing but shake his head disappointedly.

"You do know about how babies are made, right?"

The green-eyed boy slammed his fist into his palm. "Yeah, umm.. The egg cell and the sperm? What's that got to do with birds and bees?", Kirihara looked at his Senpai innocently, eager to be bestowed with the truth about this mystery of life that his parents never even tried to explain to him.

Jackal grumbled, "I don't think he needs to know about that from you, Niou."

The silver-haired lad ignored him. "I'm getting to it. Fertilization and stuff happens inside the female organ, but do you know how the sperm gets in there? The process?"

Kirihara shook his head embarrassedly.

"Oh, you poor bratling." Niou patted Kirihara's head with mock sympathy, "It starts when a boy and a girl gets too.. what do you call this-.. Kinky..?"

"Niou-kun!"

The sophomore blinked, apparently not familiar with the term.

"Alright, alright. Passionate? Yeah, that's it", then the Trickster spoke like he was talking to a kindergartener, "It begins with the usual acts to get themselves in the mood, like their body getting too close.."

The raven-haired boy stopped from jogging as an image of him and the auburn-haired girl lying under the tree appeared in his mind.. and he paled. W-Wha..

His Senpai still continued on speaking, "..then they hug, then..", Niou trailed off as he noticed that their Kouhai is not keeping up with them and he turned, only to see Kirihara's forest green orbs widen like saucers. "Oi.."

"THAT'S HOW BABIES ARE MADE?!"

The trickster raised both his brows, "Yeah." And what followed was something they didn't expect, even Niou. He knew the seaweed head would freak out but he didn't expect him to release an ear-shattering shriek and hurriedly run as if the devil was after him this early in his 'lecture'. They're not even on the good part yet. The rest of them only stared with various looks of shock, confusion and befuddlement.

"You just gave him a brain-wedgie..", Marui remarked. "He's weirder than usual and that's saying something."

...

When the Rikkai regulars were finally done with their laps (sans Kirihara who had to finish 60 laps), they came upon Yukimura who looked like he was waiting for them. He perked up and gracefully turned to the Gentleman and the Brazilian, "Ah, Yagyuu, Jackal, I'm afraid we'll have to go. The teachers are calling for the members of all the committees today." Yukimura is in the Beautification committee, Yagyuu is a Public morals committee member while Jackal is a committee member of the Biology department.

Yagyuu looked around, "Where's Sanada-kun and Yanagi-kun?", he asked the captain. Sanada is the chairman of the Public morals committee while Yanagi is the Student council secretary.

"Renji already went there but he said Sanada had to go run an errand." The blue-haired lad darted his orbs towards Marui and Niou, "Once he comes back, can you inform him that there is a meeting for all committee members and that we already went ahead?", at their nod, he added, "And while we're gone, I'll..", his usual smile faltered for a moment, as if he was hesitating, but it returned not a second later, "..entrust you with supervising the other club members."

Niou's brows shot up and plans instantly formed in his diabolic mind but he stopped himself from saying anything when Yukimura's smile became ice-cold.

"Are you sure?", Jackal looked flabbergasted and he turned to Niou, before once again facing their Buchou, "JESUS. Really?"

"Oi, are you doubting my capabilities as a genius, Jackal?", Marui asked indignantly.

Yagyuu pushed his glasses up, "Marui-kun, we do not doubt your capabilities as a genius. However..", he sent Niou a side-glance, "We are highly knowledgeable of Niou-kun's skills as a trickster."

The blue-haired lad chimed, "But I expect that when we return, the courts will be just like how we left it. No explosions, dead animals or anything of the sort. Right, Niou and Marui?", he spoke with his usual soft tone and pleasant smile but they all know the message behind it. Do otherwise.. and suffer the DEADLY consequences.

So the two nodded again, feeling the hair on the back of their napes stand up. Yukimura, Yagyuu and Jackal left, albeit hesitantly, making Niou and Marui the official LORDS of the court for the day.

"I'll go check on Aka-chan. You?", the redhead inquired Niou but when he looked beside him, the Trickster was already gone. Then he heard the door to the clubroom slam open and Niou came out of it with his racquet and.. utility box. Oh, this is bad. Really bad. "Hey, where are you going with that?!"

"He didn't say I couldn't have some fun OUTSIDE the courts, right?"

"But he specifically told us to-"

Niou rolled his eyes, "You said so yourself. You're a genius..", a slight smirk tugged on his lips, "You can manage."

"Yukimura-buchou's going to kill you, you know."

The silver-haired lad pondered over it for a moment, then shrugged. "Nah.. I'm too good a tennis player, he won't let me go to waste. Rikkaidai needs me." And with that, he strolled out of there. Now.. where to find Sanada?

...

Sakuno wanted to go home. But the letter in her hand prevents her from doing so. Oh, Kami.. she's really hungry now. But unfortunately, she forgot her Bentou on the bench she sat on earlier. And when she tried to go back there, she got lost. Great. Just great.

She should've just ignored the boy's whimpers. She should've just ignored him and went on with her business. Her face suddenly went all red as the memory of him staring directly at her flashed in her mind. He must've thought she's some kind of creep. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to recollect herself. Mou.. How can she find the captain now?

The girl scanned her surroundings, beseeching the deities for help when her chocolate brown orbs spotted a tall, silver-haired lad wearing a yellow and black jersey with a box in hand and a racquet on the other. She gasped. Finally!

...

Niou continued on his way, not minding the girls who are staring at him as he passes by. He strode purposefully across the Rikkai grounds with a smirk playing on his lips. This will be fun.

But when he was just about to enter a building, he felt a presence behind him and he immediately knew that someone's following him. Quirking a brow, he whirled around and to his surprise, saw a girl with long, auburn braids timidly looking at him. It's not really new for him to be followed by a girl.. he'd been stalked before. It's her uniform that got his attention. He'd recognize that uniform anywhere.. it's Seigaku's. It's missing a ribbon though.

A Seigaku student in Rikkai?

His steely blue eyes gave her a quick scan. Biting on her lower lip, shyly looking at him, fiddling with the hem of her skirt, bad posture, a bit disheveled, and her features.. are average. Well, a bit cute, to be honest.. just a bit. She didn't fit into the category of rabid fan girls, he inferred. Because those kind of creatures stink of perfumes (they probably thought it'll smell nice if they bathe in it), smiles ridiculously at him to make a good impression, squeals a lot and brings chocolates and stuff most of the time, as if they came to woo him. She travelled to Kanagawa from Seishun and if she's not some crazy stalker, then she must be here for business purposes.

"E-Eto..", she bowed slightly and spoke in a meek tone of voice, "I'm sorry.. for disturbing you, demo.. I-I just have to ask you something."

The Trickster slowly nodded. "Fire away", he said with his gaze still on her. She looked young.. and probably a bit naive. Is she really already in middle school?

The auburn-haired girl took a brief glimpse of his face before lowering her orbs to his jersey. "A-Are you a Rikkai regular tennis player?"

So he was right. She's not a fan.

"Yeah..", he replied. "I'm Bob."

The girl snapped her head to him, looking incredulous with her doe-like eyes and he suddenly felt like chuckling. She looked like a kitten. It appears that she didn't buy it. She must've seen him before then, she just forgot his name. But then, after a few seconds, she nodded, "I-I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno." Hmm.. she still introduced herself even though she knew that he lied about his identity right into her face. "I j-just wanted to ask.. if you know where your.. captain is. I have.. a-a message to deliver to him." She stutters a lot too, he noted.

"Ah.. Buchou?", Niou placed a finger on his chin, eyeing her with mild interest, "I think he's over there." And he pointed to his right, which is the way to.. "You'd see him there."

..the Baseball field.

"A-Arigatou!"

...

Sakuno was relieved. She thanked the silver-haired boy profusely and even bowed a few more times. But she was sure his name's not Bob, though. Wasn't he the one who played against Fuji-senpai? Oh right, the one who does illusions! She didn't expect this.. He's actually kind!

But as she went to the direction he gave her.. she saw no Tennis courts nor any boys wearing yellow and black jerseys like him. Instead, there was a large baseball field with guys holding wooden baseball bats. That's when she realized.. that she was tricked.

...

Niou returned to his search for Sanada and the execution of his plan. He'll one up Fukubuchou today. Twice. The lad then ascended the stairs to the second floor and looked out the window for a better view. And as his eyes roamed the grounds.. instead of Sanada, he caught sight of the auburn-haired girl he met earlier. She really fell for it, eh? He amusedly watched as she walked to the baseball field and stood there with a stupefied look. The Trickster smirked.. she's too gullible.

Putting a hand inside his pocket, he shifted his gaze away to find his target of the day.. but hastily returned it when he noticed the girl shrinking back, with a group of baseball players rounding up on her. His lips went into a firm line. Why should he care? It's her fault that she got fooled. She shouldn't just trust strangers. Especially those who obviously lied about who they are.

And he's too busy. He hasn't found Sanada yet. So he can't get involved- the girl tripped on her own foot and slumped on the ground. Niou wanted to face-palm, who the heck trips on their own foot?! And when the bastards started cackling and the auburn head seemed frozen, he cursed loudly that it alarmed the students standing near him. Dammit. Then he sighed in defeat and walked down the stairs and out of the building.

Curse that troublesome little thing called 'Conscience'.

...

"We really hate spies, you know", the tall man wearing a striped baseball uniform said distastefully.

"N-No.. I'm not s-spying on you! I'm looking for the Buchou-"

"Urusai..", another lad stepped forward, and she squirmed in fear. He sneered, "You're the fourth spy today. How pitiful that they left that task to a small girl like you. Did you think we won't notice? That we'd just let you be?"

Obaa-chan, tasukete! The auburn head lowered her head to hide her quivering lip. What should she do now? Why is this happening? She swears she'll never go to Rikkai again!

"Go back to your school and give our message to them!", on the ground, she saw the shadow of one of them go near her and raise an arm holding something over his head. She closed her orbs tightly and prayed it's not a bat.. Obaa-chaaaaan!

She suddenly heard a familiar swish (of course, it's familiar, she hears it on the courts everyday), then a loud sound, like there was something that got hit above her. Another sound followed and this time, it's like something collided with the ground. The girl slowly lifted her head.. and saw a guy with a baseball uniform looking shocked, his hand shaking. Then her eyes darted to the bat lying a few feet from her and beside it.. is a tennis ball.

Sakuno shifted her gaze to the boys in front of her and was dumbfounded when she saw that they were all turned to the left, their mouths agape and their eyes wide with a.. is that a hint of fear? So the girl snapped her head to the direction they were all looking at and to her surprise, the silver-haired lad with a rat-tail she saw earlier came into view, holding a racquet. Did he just help her?

"N-NIOU MASAHARU..", the tallest of them muttered while backing away.

Niou Masaharu? His name's Niou Masaharu, not Bob, she knew it!

The tennis player sent them a lethal glare that made them all stumble back. Niou Masaharu is bad news and they know it. "She said she's not a damn spy, you morons. Who'd waste their time spying on you scumbags anyway?"

One of them looked indignant and was about to retort but the Trickster just turned to him and gave him an evil smirk, as if saying 'Dare and die'. So the chap just bit his tongue, giving importance to self-preservation.

"You dare hurt a girl, you gits?"

"I was just going to scare her.."

"'Scare her', your ass." Niou scoffed and stared them down. "She's not a spy and I know it. So you gits better apologize or else..", he spoke the last words with a barely hidden threat.

And in an instant, they were all uttering words of apologies to the girl and Sakuno can only blink in confusion. Niou gestured for her to stand and she picked herself up from the ground.

"And..", the Trickster issued them one last condescending look for good measure, "This one's under my protection now. So stay away from her." Then he turned to the girl, "Let's go. Buchou's not here."

It really is troublesome to be nice, he thought. Such a nuisance.

Niou picked up his utility box after putting back his racquet inside its bag and hoisting it on his shoulder. He strode away from them and smirked when he heard the girl's footsteps behind him.

The two of them walked out of the field, leaving the baseball players trembling. Sure he's a trickster but he knows his limits and pranking shouldn't involve little girls like her getting hurt. Wow, he really did learn from Yagyuu.

But still, he won't apologize. It's not like him. That was why he made them say sorry. That's the most she'll get out of him.

"Domo arigatou, Niou-san."

Did she just thank him? He tricked her into going there and she thanked him? Is she really that naive or just plain dumb? The lad spun around to get a good look at her, his blue eyes expressing his disbelief. He practically pushed her into them and now she's-.. she's bowing! What the hell? She should be angry, not thankful.

"You're weird." And that was all he could say. For some reason, he felt irritated.. and guiltier. It was supposed to be a harmless prank and he didn't really expect it to end that way. She was almost hurt and here she is being grateful. Oh well, maybe he's just used to people screaming their lungs out and chasing him or most recently, slapping him (Sanada) after he pulls a trick on them.

The auburn-haired girl quickly straightened up and a blush formed on her cheeks. "G-Gomenasai.."

Is she freaking serious? She's saying sorry because he thought she's weird? She's hopeless. She's just too friggin' gullible, innocent, stupid and kind, it's getting on his nerves! And now she looks like a little kitty that got scolded, he suddenly felt a knot in his stomach.

He likes kittens.

Niou tore his gaze away from her and looked elsewhere, "Hn." And he realized he sounded like Sanada. That's just creepy. Reaching for his rat-tail, he spoke, "Buchou is now in a meeting. So.. you should just probably wait if you really want to see him badly. Fukubuchou's around here somewhere though. That's all I can tell you."

"I-I got something for your Buchou-.."

"You shouldn't trust me with that. Haven't you learned your lesson at all?", Niou rolled his blue eyes. Stupid. But when he took a glimpse at her, her face once again looked like a kitten. Red alert, his mind warned. "I gotta go." And he hurriedly trudged away, shaking his head. Really weird.

"T-Thank you again, Niou-san!"

But he wondered what she had for Yukimura. Tch. Why does it matter? She can be his girlfriend for all he care. He's not interested. She's really weird, after all.

Miffed, he turned on a corner and saw the one person he'd been looking for. Sanada! A smirk curled on his lips and he glanced at his utility box. Some entertainment will be nice.

...

Sanada lowered the brim of his cap as he walked to the courts, his mind reeling over the fact that graduation is coming near indeed. Will Kirihara be able to handle the team after they go? He himself doubts it. He should probably discuss this with Yukimura and Yanagi. What can they do to prepare the next captain of Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku Boy's Tennis Club?

"Sanada-kun!"

A voice interrupted his thoughts and he whirled around, only to find the team's Gentleman, Yagyuu, standing behind him. The said lad nodded curtly to him.

"Yagyuu? Why aren't you on the courts?"

The purple-haired lad pushed his glasses up. "Sanada-kun, all members of all the committees were called for a meeting. Even Yukimura-kun. We must go now, we're quite late."

A meeting?

"So who's left to watch over the members?"

"Marui-kun and Niou-kun." The Fukubuchou's eyes widened so he added, "Marui-kun is doing a fairly well job and Niou-kun is busying himself with supervising Kirihara-kun. Yukimura-kun gave them strict instructions not to destroy the courts, and it's enough for them to behave."

If it's Yukimura, there's nothing to worry about then.

"Let's go."

...

Niou (or Yagyuu, as far as Sanada knows) fixed his collar meticulously while pacing behind Sanada. They're almost there..

Fukubuchou was a bit puzzled at first as to why they'd hold the meeting in a room far from the Student council room but he just said that's it is not enough to accommodate such a large number of students. Sanada only nodded. Yagyuu won't lie to him.

But Niou will.

And when they arrived in front of the room where the 'meeting' is taking place, 'Yagyuu' received a phone call. He spoke in a perfectly-imitated Yagyuu voice, "Pardon me, Sanada-kun. But I must answer this." He stepped back and Sanada just nodded again before entering. He turned his back.. and plastered a smirk on his handsome face. Quickly walking away, he removed his purple wig off his head.

He didn't really lie to Sanada. There IS a meeting going on in there. Yes, there is. It's just that.. it's a meeting for the biggest fan girl organization in Rikkai. The lot who always shout 'All hail the Child of God! All hail the Emperor!', with foams in their mouths, metaphorically.

Yep. He just lured the Emperor to the lair of the most evil kind of creatures on earth. Crazy fan girls. This is just Phase A, and its main purpose is to distract Sanada. Next on the list of his things to do: Preparation for Phase B.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!", Niou heard banshee-like screams and squeals that must've shook the campus and he laughed. There goes Sanada's mentality.

It was epic.

...

"Did you hear that?", Jackal whispered to his teammates worriedly.

Yagyuu glanced meaningfully at him, "I'm getting the feeling that Niou-kun is behind all this."

"There is a 137.08% probability that that is the case", Yanagi spoke beside him while still looking at the speaker in front.

"That's over a hundred, Yanagi."

"Precisely."

Yukimura only smiled creepily and Yagyuu sighed.

...

Like the others, Marui also heard the squeals and knew it's probably because of Niou. He popped his gum and rolled his pink eyes. There's nothing new 'bout that. After watching the other members train and giving them some advice, he strolled back to the clubhouse to replace his racquet when his gaze landed on the Bentou box beside his bag. He had no intention of stealing it but he can't just leave it there, can he?

So in the end, he brought it along with him. Maybe.. he can return it to the owner.

Dang it, he already ate the last one. It was soooo good. It was not the ingredients the one who made it used that made him love it, but it was in the way that it was made. There was something in it that made him want to eat more. There was balance and love in every bite. He's not crazy about it, no. But.. if he could, he would like to have another one.

Sighing, he took a racquet out of his tennis bag. Hmm.. Maybe he can drag Jackal into looking for a nice onigiri after practice.

…

Sanada despised fan girls with a passion. He hated them so much; he wished he had his Katana with him. But sadly, his Katana is in the confines of his house. Why isn't his glare working on them? They might've become immune to it now. This is dangerous. Truly dangerous. He can't possibly hurt them, they're girls! So, he had no choice, but to run for his life and sanity.

Damn it, he'd been tricked. Again.

...

After copying a janitor (so that he can do whatever he wants to do without anyone questioning him) and setting up the ol' water balloon with a twist, Niou gazed proudly at his creation. Once Sanada passes by this part of the hallway (he figured the rock-loving Fukubuchou will go straight to the Student council room where Yukimura and Yanagi is), he'll activate the little machine that will open the metal cabinet (which is situated in the same floor where the meeting is held, at the end of the hallway. It's where the janitors keep the mops and their other cleaning materials ) and release the large water balloon with his handy remote. The trajectory is fine, so are the other parts. Now, it's only up to him for this to go smoothly, with the right timing.

Water balloons. That's a classic. Just perfect for the technologically and socially-challenged Sanada. He would've filled it with paint but he ran out of it when he gave the Basketball team's uniforms a make-over last week.

It's a pity that he didn't have a picture of the grumpy Emperor being chased by fangirls. It would've been a nice piece of blackmail.

A freshman walked to him, "Mister, the other room there isn't cleaned-.."

"Do I look like a darn janitor to you?", then he realized what he's wearing, "Oh right. Well, my shift's over so beat it, kid."

And he took his screwdriver, threw it into his box then dashed to the bathroom to change his clothing.

...

Sakuno twiddled her fingers together as she walked around the campus. She never thought that looking for the Buchou will be this tedious. The auburn head sighed.. she should've just given the letter to Niou. He can't be trusted? But he saved her! And that's more than enough proof that he's a nice person.

Should she just enter one of the buildings and look for him there? Hmm.. Sakuno moved to step into a building when a whirlwind of yellow came running down the stairs and passed her. Ah, wait.. Yellow jacket and a cap? Her chocolate brown orbs lit in delight. It's the guy who had a match against Ryoma and Tezuka-buchou before! He's their vice-captain! Sa-Sa.. Sanada!

So she turned around and called to him, "M-Matte!", and she beamed when he looked at her, "Sanada-san!"

But instead of approaching her, he stormed away and went into another building with a speed that could've made Kamio Akira of Fudoumine cry in envy.

"W-Wait, Sanada-san! I-I have to-.. chotto matte kudasai!"

...

Why won't they stop? Don't they have any morality at all? They're girls for goodness' sake. They shouldn't chase after boys! It's just wrong! The girls of today are truly different from the ladies of the old days who were pure and refined. Hurting girls is against his own code of conduct but this is just driving him crazy. The students who saw him were a bit surprised, then shrugged. They're now used to seeing the regulars of the Tennis team get chased by rabid and lunatic fan girls.

Niou Masaharu, you better hide or..

"S-Sanada-san!"

How did he manage to survive three years in this school without getting insane? Oh, when he gets a hold of that Trickster, he'd slap the hell out of him and make him run laps until his lungs burst.

This means Yukimura and the others must be in the Student council room then. Sanada made his way to the said room, ignoring the pleas of the 'fan girl' for him to stop. He climbed the stairs, and turned right.

"Sanada-san! Wait.. p-please!", the girl behind him is panting for breath.

Just tune her out and she'll leave. Tune her out. Ignore her. Don't look back.

The Emperor continued on, although he did slow down a bit. The door to the Student council room is now only a few steps away. These girls should be ashamed of themselves. Unacceptable. True Japanese girls at heart are now really rare.. or perhaps they have ceased from existing.

"Please, just s-stop. I've been looking for-.."

"Stop following me!", Sanada growled. Such girls with low class are a disgrace. "Fan girls like you should set your standards!"

Then there was silence. Finally, she must've left now-

"But I'm not a fan girl!"

Sanada's eyebrows shot up and he stopped in his tracks, just before reaching his destination, right in front of a metal CABINET. Not a fan girl? Does she take him for a fool?

"I'm from Seigaku and I've been looking for you all day! I-I have a letter to deliver!"

Seigaku? She's from Seigaku? He weighed the possibilities and thought that maybe she IS telling the truth. So, he whipped his head to the girl to confirm if she really is from their rival school and when his eyes laid on her, he stilled as her uniform registered in his mind. Oh.

The auburn-haired girl smiled in relief when he turned, appreciation evident in her big, brown eyes. Kami-sama, thank you so much! At last! Mou, she's so tired! Demo.. he said something about fan girls. He must be in a sour mood because of them and she understood his distress. Her Senpai-tachi also experiences the same thing every day.

Then she took a step towards him, telling herself, 'Job well done, Sakuno. Job well done.' But her orbs suddenly noticed the cabinet open by itself and something that was hanging inside it swung.. a.. a big water balloon. A WATER BALLOON!

Everything seemed to have moved in slow motion as she quickened her steps with her sight fixed on the cabinet behind the much larger lad. "Sanada-san!", she shouted in alarm, and her feet moved on their own accord, her instincts acting. Helping others.. is second nature to her. So she went to him, stepped towards his back to cover him and- SPLASH!

It didn't take long for Sanada to realize what must be happening but before he can even move, the girl has already taken the blow. He gaped, why would she do something like that? He can handle this by himself! She shouldn't have.. Why would she even do this?

The girl slowly plopped on the wet floor, her braids dripping with water. He didn't understand it at all. Why would a girl who barely knows him do that? But when his black eyes shifted to her small frame, innocent doe eyes and shivering delicate fingers.. That's when he realized that he was wrong.

Because here in front of him.. is a TRUE AND PURE JAPANESE GIRL AT HEART.

That bastard has gone too far. That's it, he's dead meat!

"NIOU MASAHARU!", Sanada bellowed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A lot of the students watched the commotion in the hallway; some even began laughing openly at Sakuno. Because of the noise, the door to the student council room went open and a familiar face emerged, it's Yukimura, followed by Yagyuu and they were both baffled. That just proves it, the 'Yagyuu' he talked to earlier was Niou!

The auburn-haired girl looked away, her face burning with embarrassment. She suddenly wanted to get out of there. But with all these people around her, she can't seem to find the energy to move. Her drenched uniform sticked to her skin and she didn't even notice that it quite exposed her chest. Her lips quivered as she felt all their stares- when a yellow jacket was suddenly wrapped around her. Out of surprise, she looked up.. and met Sanada's hard yet reassuring eyes.

From afar, Niou's lids narrowed. Crap, that girl foiled his plan.

...

Fuji drank the latest Inui juice straight up, like it was nothing but water. And instead of smiling like usual, he gave the cup to Inui Sadaharu and said, "Do you have some more?"

The Seigaku data man sweat dropped and the others looked at him with utter shock and fear. Tezuka Kunimitsu just watched them with his stoic facade. Although he was a bit curious as to why Fuji was having a bad day.

Kikumaru then looked around.. and pouted.

"Mou.. Where's Sakuno-chan? I haven't seen her all day, Nya~.."

The captain then realized that the girl is nowhere in sight. He glanced at the brunette Tensai and studied him carefully.

...

Hyotei..

"So the commoner girl promised Beat that she will visit him?", Atobe flicked his hair with a finger elegantly.

"Usu."

"Oh, really? When will she go here then, ahn?"

"Usu."

The Hyotei Buchou looked contemplative. "She didn't clarify?"

"Usu."

"Why do you think is that?"

"Usu."

Atobe nodded slowly, his grey orbs still glazed.

Shishido turned to his teammates, "I don't get how Atobe does that."

...

Ryuzaki Sumire smiled when her phone once again rang and a familiar name appeared on its screen. She picked it up from her desk and spoke, "Osamu, I knew you'd call."

Watanabe Osamu chuckled on the other line, "Of course, Ryuzaki-sensei. I can assure you that Shitenhouji will-"

"Did ya just say Ryuzaki?! Who are you talking to? Is that Onigiri-hime?! Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

"Kin-chan, oi! Stop that!"

"Iiyaaaa!"

Sumire sighed. Typical Shitenhouji.

...

A/N: So, how's Chapter Two? Please review, I'd like to hear your opinions! Wow, her trip to Rikkaidai is quite long. There will be a part two, it will be Chapter Three. The innocent Akaya, sweets-lover Marui, naughty Niou and traditional Sanada for now and next will be the sadistic Yukimura, gentlemanly Yagyuu and dun dun dun dun.. it'll be a surprise. It's hard to think of a scenario for Jackal.

Don't worry, everyone will have their moments. One at a time. Marui won't be "You're such a great baker, I gotta marry you!" here though. Seigaku will be in Chapter 3 too, I'm not leaving them out, I love them. Sorry for the typo errors, I'm lazy.

Atobe DOES have a dog named Beat. It says so in his Wikia. And Niou DOES like kittens.

This is the current poll results:

Fuji Syuusuke- 13%

Yukimura Seiichi- 13%

Atobe Keigo- 13%

Marui Bunta- 13%

Sanada Genichirou- 9%

Kirihara Akaya- 9%

Shiraishi Kuranosuke- 9%

Oshitari Yuushi- 9%

Kikumaru Eiji- 4%

Niou Masaharu- 4%

Please vote for the guy you want to end up with Sakuno! The poll is on my profile. I added a few other names so you guys can have a broader array of options. Thanks! Review, review, review! Thank you for the people who gave me a review, I'm inspired. My 6 y.o. nephew asked me how babies are made a couple of days ago and my mind went blank so I told him to just go play outside. Haha. Thanks again and love lots!


	3. The invitation letter for Rikkai 2

Chapter Three:

The invitation letter for Rikkai (Part 2)

...

**My life was a perfect example of normalcy until they came. The first time I met them, I thought, Obaa-chan was absolutely right. Tennis players are a handful.. and crazy. Most especially the talented ones. They have the most strange personalities. But I guess that's why a lot of people, including me, find them truly remarkable. **

**Before the Nationals, I thought that Rikkaidai is a school of people with a strict sense of discipline and always aspires for nothing but victory and perfection. Of course, a lot of people saw them like that too, since during matches, they'd always say they're the 'Absolute Winner' and they believe that 'Defeat is unacceptable'. But I soon realized that.. Yes, they are serious, disciplined and perfectionists.. when inside the courts. Outside? They're just like my Senpai-tachi. They are a bunch of Tennis-loving male teenagers who have their own quirks.**

**I guess every school is like that. **

...

Shitenhouji..

"There you go..", Osamu gave Shiraishi Kuranosuke's phone back to its owner after his lengthy conversation with the coach of Seigaku. Well, it would've been shorter if they got Kintarou off his back faster. Seriously, what's with that kid and who's that Onigiri-hime? Is that his imaginary friend or something? "Thanks, by the way."

The Shitenhouji Buchou took it and inquired with a curt smile. "Ah, what happened to your phone?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

The younger lad blinked but decided not to ask any further for the sake of his sanity. Oftentimes, knowing nothing is better than being savvy to something you don't really want to know.

Smiling lopsidedly, the Coach crossed his arms, "So what do you think of the invitation? It'll be fun, eh?"

Shiraishi's greyish brown orbs swept over his teammates.. who are now making quite a fuss.

"You're cheating on me again!", fumed Hitoji Yuuji as he chased his doubles partner, Konjiki Koharu, around the court. Then he took a brief glance at Oshitari Kenya who was watching them with an annoyed look.. and loudly wailed. "And with someone LIKE HIM!", he said it like Kenya wasn't even there that made the Speedstar glare at him heatedly. "I'm going to kill you!"

"We were never together! So stop your-.."

"Oi! What do you mean LIKE HIM?!"

"..-delusions because I don't love you! I never did and I never will!"

"GAAAAAAA! KOHARUUUUU!"

"Oi, what was LIKE HIM supposed to mean, you nutcase?! Eh, what the-.. Koharu, stop that! Get away, dammit!", and he ran around the courts as well.

And while all this was happening, Ishida Gin was talking to a wide-eyed redhead with his brows slightly furrowed. "You failed your exam..?", he slowly spoke each syllable like a concerned parent, "And you got a zero.. in the one-thousand words essay part..", then released a long and deep breath before, "How did you manage to get a zero?"

Getting a zero is a great feat indeed. Oh Buddha, how can someone get a zero in a thousand words essay when even a single nonsensical sentence could've gotten him five points!

Kintarou scratched his forehead with a pout, his golden orbs fixed on the ground. "I glued a picture on my paper."

Gin was dumbfounded. Why in the world..?

"Didn't you say before that a picture is worth a thousand words? I don't understand, why did I get a zero?", and the boy genuinely looked puzzled.

Oh. Sighing wearily, the older lad noted to himself that he should be more careful of his words in front of the impressionable Kintarou next time. "I didn't mean it like that, Kin-chan."

"But you said so yourself, a picture's worth a thousand words and the essay had to be composed of one-thousand words! So I should have gotten a perfect score!"

"..."

Zaizen Hikaru came strolling by with his hands in his pockets and muttered, "They're all idiots. Hardcore idiots."

Gawking, the speedstar of Naniwa pushed the Gay genius away (who dramatically slumped on the ground, "IYAAAAA~N!", which made Yuuji come to his rescue, "KOHARUUU!", and of course the other one answered, "YUU-KUN~!", and then they.. uhh.. well..- CENSORED) and yelled, "You little..- why do you always have to be so condescending?!"

"I'm condescending, Senpai? Do you even know what that means?"

"You and your big mouth full of-"

"KENYA, OI!"

"He's going to kill Hikaru-chan!"

Their Buchou sighed.. but afterwards plastered a small smile on his face, his eyes half-exasperated and half-amused, "I guess."

Kintarou would surely love to go, but unfortunately, Echizen went straight to U.S. after the Nationals. Guess he won't have his much wanted rematch with the dubbed 'Prince of Tennis' any time soon. Gin would probably like the idea too, it's been awhile since he last spent some quality time with his brother, Ishida Tetsu of Fudoumine. And Kenya.. oh, he can just imagine what will happen once the lad sees his cousin again, Oshitari Yuushi of Hyotei. Shiraishi saw him before being nostalgic over a childhood photo. Kenya may not admit it but everyone knows that he misses his cousin.

However.. he's worried about that Kaidou Kaoru from Seigaku. Koharu would bug him to no end, for sure and it'll most likely result in a disturbing scene and a bloody nose, maybe some cracked ribs too (Koharu's). Oh, and Kamio Akira, Tezuka Kunimitsu and Atobe Keigo! Right, the Shitenhouji gay genius has a crush on them too. And Yuuji will, of course, go crazy with jealousy. It will be a riot.

Oh heck no. Dang it.

"SHIRAISHIIIIIIIII! KENYA'S TRYING TO KILL ZAIZEN!"

Shaking his head in despair, he went to them to do some damage control.

"Come on, who wants to go out and eat some Nagashi soumen? My treat."

And they all perked up. Of course, there's no problem a bowl of Nagashi soumen can't fix. His teammates may be rowdy but they're good people. Shiraishi's actually thankful that they're his teammates because he heard that the Rikkai, Seigaku and Hyotei people are a lot worse. And to think that there are people out there worse than his regulars.. he felt sympathy for their captains. Yep, Shiraishi felt blessed indeed.

...

Rikkai..

Chewing on his bubblegum, Marui sauntered back to the courts.. only to find Kirihara still running. With his freaking school uniform on. Okaaaay, just how many laps is he planning to run? That's crazy! Enough of this! He's gonna have to tell their bratling the truth before he exhausts himself too much and Yukimura kills him gruesomely for letting that happen. Just the thought of their blue-haired Buchou smiling at him with that 'seemingly' pleasant smile already gives him the creeps. Curse Kirihara for being their captain's favorite.

"Akaya!"

The seaweed head ignored him completely and still continued to dash around the courts. For the love of all things sweet and sugary! If their Buchou arrives, he's just gonna blame it all on that bastard Niou.

"What's up with him? He's acting all looney again." A random third year member said as he passed by.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"MARUI-SAMAAAAA!"

Spinning around, the redhead caught sight of a number of girls coming his way. Instead of making his escape (like the other sane regulars of Rikkai would do), he simply waited for them to come, his pink orbs lighting up in delight as he saw what they were holding. His cakes! Ooooh, there's chocolate, strawberry, cheese, mango, mocha, caramel, black forest and all! They excitedly flocked around him and presented their cakes, eager for the Rikkai genius to taste theirs.

"My cake's really good and you'll surely love it!"

"No, mine's better!"

"Pick mine first! I poured my all into it!"

Marui beamed happily; Niou's pranks can really be beneficial sometimes. It was months ago when the said Trickster made up some rumors about him. Apparently, he told the fangirls that the volley-specialist will marry the one who can make the best cake of all. The next day, cakes were delivered to his house early in the morning, even his locker was flooded with it and girls from all over Japan came to their practice to personally give their masterpieces to him. It was total chaos.. until Sanada got fed up and scared them all off, and with the help of Niou (Yagyuu, the supposed-to-be Gentleman, threatened his bestfriend that he will resort to his 'drastic measures', meaning blackmail, if he doesn't solve it. Yep, Yagyuu is definitely learning from the Trickster as well) who pulled some icky pranks on them. Of course, the rumor was too far-fetched but Marui had no complaints. He's got CAKES! So he didn't even bother to stop the rumor from spreading like wildfire in a forest during summer. Instead, he gratefully thanked the Trickster.

"Marui-sama, what would you like for tomorrow? Chocolate or strawberry?"

Marui pondered over it for a moment.. Chocolate or strawberry? Which one's better? Well, he's going for a..- something flashed in his mind and he stood still. His taste buds tingled, as if telling him about a particular food he tasted awhile ago. Oh, right. Turning back to them, he answered with a boyish grin, "I think I'm up for strawberry and.. if not's too much of a bother..", he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "..some Onigiri would be nice."

...

Sanada glared harshly at the students who were laughing at the girl and they instantly fell quiet, intimidated by the Emperor's dark aura. How ill-mannered of them, Sanada thought. Didn't they see how embarrassed she was already? Their lack in discipline is simply awful. Rikkaidai is so much better than this! His black eyes drifted to the drenched auburn-haired girl and he suddenly felt a protective streak well up inside him. She looked too vulnerable and innocent.. that he felt a sudden urge to get her into a safe place. He gently held her shoulders and helped her stand up, his regular's jacket still draped around her.

"What happened, Sanada-kun?", came the true Yagyuu's voice. The Gentleman stepped towards them and stared at the mess, followed by the blue-haired Buchou. Their gazes then laid on the girl held by the Fukubuchou, who was lowering her head in embarrassment.

"Niou happened."

Yukimura's blue orbs lit with concern for the auburn head. She didn't look like a student of Rikkaidai, based on her school uniform. Actually, her uniform looks so much like.. Seigaku's. Now, that's interesting. He wanted to have a good look at her face but she was bowing her head, and what amused him, is the intensity of her blush that even reached her ears, they were so red. It strangely fascinated him and he wondered who the girl is. Does Sanada know her? He even lent her his jacket, which was odd because he rarely does that. Oh well, it's not like the Fukubuchou will just abandon a girl who needs his help. Sanada is not as cold-hearted as other people assumed. He's actually quite the opposite.

"Let's take her to the clinic..", Yagyuu said as he eyed the band-aid on her chin that was half-peeled because of the water. It needs to be replaced by a new one and she looks like she needs to be somewhere away from many people. But her clothes are all wet.. he hoped the nurse has an extra shirt she can borrow. Being the Gentleman that he is, he picked up the bag from the floor that he figured was hers and looked at Sanada.

The capped lad agreed and turned his head to his bestfriend, "Don't worry, we'll take care of this. You should go back to the meeting." And with that, he tugged on the girl and they started to walk away, with Yagyuu following closely behind. The students made way for them, not wanting to mess with two of the members of both the Public morals committee and the popular Tennis club. The fangirls alone can kill them, what more if they piss THE Sanada Genichirou? That'll be like committing suicide.

But before they can even reach the stairs, the Emperor halted and glanced at his teammate. "Yagyuu, here..", Sanada fished something out of his pocket and gave it to the bespectacled regular. "That's the key to my locker. Get the white shirt in there and bring it to the clinic." And then he quickly turned his back and they continued on their way, leaving Yagyuu with a key in his hand. Without further ado, the purple-haired lad also took off and went into another direction, although a bit surprised.

Sanada still didn't let go of her shoulders, his black orbs warning the students if ever he hears even a snicker from them. Of course, this protective gesture didn't go unnoticed by Yukimura who was still watching them.

When they were finally out of sight, instead of going back to the Student council room, the blue-haired lad strode to the left part of the hallway, a serene smile curled on his lips. Oh my.. Seems like Niou still hasn't learned his lesson. Well, it'll be a pleasure to teach him a thing or two today. And his smile widened.

...

Kirihara panted heavily.. Damn his Senpai! Mattaku.. After running his legs into extreme exhaustion, he laid on the ground without a care for his uniform and his arms stretched out over his head. His forest green orbs stared lifelessly into the blue sky.. Maybe his Senpai was just fooling around with him. Maybe it's just another piece of crap he made up just to screw with him, ne? Ne?

But what if it is true? How will he tell his parents? And Yukimura-buchou? He'll be so disappointed.. Oh shit, Sanada-fukubuchou will 'Tarundoru!' the hell out of him! Aw, his poor cheeks will once again suffer the famous 'Sanada-slap'! Crap, he can't be a father this early in his life! He doesn't even know who that girl was! And he doesn't have a job, how will he support the baby?! Kuso.. He's now so close to turning into Demon mode because of all the thoughts running around in his mind. And his mind wasn't that broad to begin with.

It really bothered him.. to think he's having a baby with a girl he barely knows. The memory once again appeared in his mind and he visibly gulped. She was.. well, she was pretty. Her eyes were so brown and big and.. cute. A-And she had really long braids! Her auburn hair smelled so good too! And her lips were so-.. Kirihara's cheeks flushed red as a strange kind of warmth began to spread all over his body, just like in his dream. Damn, there it is again! His heart's pounding again for no reason! It's really weirding him out and it all started when he saw that girl! It's all her fault!

The seaweed head sat up and rubbed his chest. Is this some kind of a heart disease? Maybe he got infected because of her. Irritated, he looked around and saw Marui talking to a bunch of girls. He should be careful, Kirihara thought. He might get one of them pregnant if he gets too close. His other Senpai-tachi are nowhere to be seen and he blinked.. Where are they?

Just when he was about to lie on his back again, he noticed a mass of purple hair in the corner of his eye and turned to see Yagyuu rapidly walking to the clubhouse, carrying a pink bag. Whoa, wait-.. PINK?! The hell, why Pink?! Then Marui rushed to the lad and said something he didn't quite hear. The Gentleman spoke too, and received a response that was loud enough to get the attention of all the people there.

"NIOU?! HAHA, HE'S SO DEAD!"

Oh. So his Senpai did something again. Who's the unfortunate soul this time? He wished he saw what happened, for sure it was hilarious! It's fun to see the Trickster do his tricks.. but not-so-fun when he's at the receiving end of it.

Yagyuu went inside the clubhouse and came out after a few moments holding a shirt on his other hand. Then he hurriedly left, much to the seaweed head's curiosity. He wondered where his Senpai is going and whose bag he was carrying.. because somehow, it looked familiar.

...

Among the bushes, a camera followed the capped lad and the auburn-haired girl. Then there was a flash.. and a mad scientist cackle. "Sanada, Sanada, Sanada..", a black-haired boy spoke while shaking his head, "I can't believe it..", he curled a lock of his hair with a finger as his gaze shifted to the yellow jacket the girl was wearing, "He has a girlfriend! Look, she has his jacket!"

Kisarazu Atsushi wanted to pull his hair out, "Will you please just leave them alone? You're just going to spread another rumor again. Don't you remember what happened last time? You almost got Yuuta hurt when he tried to help you from those Kakinoki guys. If anything happened to him that day, you'd have Fuji Syusuke on your tail." He took a glance at the general direction where the two figures went and cringed, "Sanada Genichirou? Are you really that eager to die?!"

"Please do shut up, Atsushi-kun. I'm a little busy right now."

Atsushi groaned. There's no helping it then. Really, it's scary to think that people like Mizuki Hajime are allowed to breed.

"She's cute.. oh, wait, why is she wet?", he paused for a second. Then, "OH MY GOD, WHAT WERE THEY DOING?! I NEVER THOUGHT THAT SANADA IS SUCH A-.."

...

Niou felt a sudden, ghastly chill behind him.

"Ah, there you are, Niou. I've been looking for you."

Oh shit.

He didn't dare glance at the smiling lad. Should he run? Nah, he'll catch him and it'll only anger him more. How did Yukimura find him?! He made sure that no one was paying any attention when he made his escape. And he's even wearing a freakin' disguise!

"You're wondering how I found you, am I right? Of course.. I'm the Child of God."

Another 'Oh, shit'.

"Pardon me but I don't have the slightest idea-.."

"Niou." And Yukimura's voice was dripping with cold venom that told him greatly of his imminent death if he doesn't cut the crap. So, he decided to just shut up. "You.. left Marui by himself and outright disobeyed MY ORDER." Then came an eerie chuckle from his Buchou that made a shiver trickle down his spine, "..MY ORDER, Niou. You do know that I hate disobedience, ne? I have nothing against your pranks, I actually find them entertaining. But disobedience is a grave mistake in Ouja Rikkaidai. You know that."

Holy shit. He can't just shut up, he has to save his life somehow!

"Ne, Mura-buchou..", he started, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, "..Maybe you can go easy on me. My plan was an epic fail after all and.. ya know, maybe there's still mercy in your heart." Yukimura once again chuckled humorlessly and Niou tried, "..Maybe in the deepest, darkest part of your heart..?"

The blue-haired lad just continued to chuckle and Niou knew it was futile to beg for mercy, especially when his vision started to darken and his hands felt numb. What a shame, he thought.. May God spare his poor, poor soul.

...

Nurses often leave the clinic at the worst kind of times, Sanada realized. Why do they always do that? Oh well, it's fine, the girl wasn't hurt anyway. He just wanted to take her somewhere safe, where she'd feel comfortable. Clinics have that sense of safety so that's why he agreed to Yagyuu's suggestion. But being alone in a room with a drenched girl.. isn't exactly comfortable for him. He hasn't faced this kind of situation before. So he didn't speak, nor did the girl who sat on a chair in front of the nurse's desk and an awkward atmosphere enveloped them. Good thing that she already zipped up the jacket so it hid her uhh..- it covered her well.

The auburn head's dainty fingers trembled and the capped lad quirked a brow. She must be cold. So his eyes roamed around the room and when he finally spotted the air conditioner, he strode towards it and quickly turned it off. Then he moved to the cabinet on his left and opened it, trying to look for a towel but there was none. He slid open the drawer beside it and luckily, a white towel is inside. The lad took it and closed the drawer, then he approached the girl and held it out to her.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu..", he heard her say softly. The way she spoke was so meek that he thought himself a fool for thinking that she's a fangirl. And when his gaze met hers, she hastily looked away and her cheeks instantly went pink (again) that it oddly amused him. She's really shy and her eyes.. are brimming with so much purity that they resembled a child's. "..f-for helping me and for letting me wear.. this. Hontou ni arigatou..", she bowed politely to him and her long, wet braids swung as she moved.

For the first time in his life, Sanada was not sure of what to do. But seeing her disheveled appearance, his usually stern eyes softened and he spoke in a surprisingly quiet tone, "No, I must be the one to thank you. For you have acted in a way that no other girl would've done for a stranger." Never did he had to thank a girl before for saving him from something. It was always him who does the 'saving' but now, here he is. How ironic. And usually, he'd chide or reprimand people for doing such risky things. What if it was paint and not water? He actually wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have done that but he knows the least he can do is thank her so he refrained from saying it. Slightly bowing his head to her, he continued, "And I apologize for the trouble my teammate and I gave you. Rest assure that the culprit will be punished heavily."

Yes, he will make sure of that.

"P-Punished?", the girl stammered out and Sanada raised his head just in time to see her chocolate brown orbs widen, "I-I don't think that-.. umm.. S-Should you really p-punish..? E-Eto.."

She doesn't want the one who did this to receive punishment? But why? Perplexed, he eyed her again. With her brown doe eyes, petite figure, almost child-like innocence and sincerely worried expression, and him standing in front of her.. suddenly he was vividly reminded of a scene from an old historical movie he watched when he was a child.

A loyal samurai humbly bowed down in front of a beautiful princess, the perfect epitome of refinement, grace, delicateness and purity. He asked for her forgiveness and the princess gave it to him without a second thought. The young Sanada marvelled, because he knew that at that time, when a samurai sins, he is immediately punished. Oftentimes, they were killed in the blink of an eye. But the princess was so forgiving and kind even though she was higher ranked that he can't help but be awed.

That's why he thought every girl should be like that. Pure, kind, innocent and forgiving, just like that Japanese princess. Just like the girls of the old days. Just like his Okaa-san. She's a kind, caring and loving mother to him who'd still give him her tender smile even though she's tired from all the household chores. She loyally stayed by his Otou-san's side, who is just like him. He rarely smiles, but the look in his eyes conveys how much he loves his wife whenever he gazes at her. That princess and his mom.. are the kind of women that girls should aspire to be.

But when he was growing up, he thought that girls nowadays are very much different from the Japanese ladies of before. True and pure Japanese girls at heart has become rare. And this opinion of him only got stronger when he joined the Rikkai Tennis club and found out the meaning of the word 'fangirl'.

Now, here in front of him is a girl who is like that Japanese princess in every way. He has found a true and pure Japanese girl at heart. But, he can't just let Niou get away with what he did, can he? As the vice-captain, he has to implement the rules of the club.

"Yes, we must punish him so that he'll never do this again." He doubts that though.

The auburn head bit her lip anxiously, her hands fiddling with the hem of her skirt and she looked so pitiful that Sanada felt his resolve slightly crumbling away so he averted his gaze. The girl then nodded before lifting the towel to her face, and when she wiped herself, the band-aid on her chin fell unto her lap. Catching sight of it, the lad quickly searched the nurse's desk beside the girl and found an opened box of band-aid. He took one and promptly gave it to her.

"A-Arigatou, Sanada-san..", said the girl and she thankfully smiled at him. After seeing how she smiled like that, he didn't think he'd mind giving her another band-aid. Or a dozen more. He liked the way she said his name too. Her voice is just so soft and sweet that it gently pleased him, but him being Sanada, he hid it with a small nod towards her.

The auburn head peeled off the cover of the band-aid and held it on both ends. But it seemed like she found it a bit difficult to place it properly that the lad, who was watching her the whole time, suddenly blurted out, "I'll help you with that." He walked to the girl, who looked like she was going to say something, and pulled the band-aid from her grasp. With his other hand, he gently tilted her chin.. and froze. He didn't know why but he suddenly felt really uncomfortable.

"S-Sanada-san..?"

He blinked confusedly. This day is rather odd, he mused. He must not be feeling well. And going with that conclusion, he proceeded to carefully lay the band-aid on her bruise. It appeared fresh.. where did she get that? Did something happen to her earlier? She must be prone to accidents then. "Be more careful next time", he advised and the girl shyly nodded. Delicate girls like her should be watched over and protected at all times.

There was a sudden knock and Sanada snapped out of his thoughts. He released her chin and hurriedly stepped to the door to open it.

"Sanada-kun..", Yagyuu nodded to him and raised his hands to show a white shirt and the girl's bag he took earlier. The Emperor gestured for him to come inside so he entered the clinic and placed the bag on a chair. His eyes went to the girl and he noticed the towel and the band-aid. Good then. He issued her a courteous nod before speaking in his usual polite tone, "I think you should change your clothes, you might catch a cold." The gentleman then gave her the shirt.

"E-Eh? Demo, can I really wear this? Ano-.."

Yagyuu sent Sanada a sideglance. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"A-Arigatou.."

The capped lad lowered his cap while Yagyuu, as always, nodded formally. Based on his observation, the girl is from another school. She looked quite young and innocent. Why would Niou do something like that to a girl like her?

The two boys whirled around and went to exit the room to let her change. They closed the door shut and stood outside.

"I didn't think Niou-kun would target a girl like her. She looked quite nice. There were times he'd pick on a girl but he'd always have a reason. It's either they're bullies or just simply atrocious..", muttered the Gentleman thoughtfully.

Sanada turned to him, "No, she wasn't his target." His teammate raised an inquiring brow and he added, "It was me."

"Oh. That makes sense." Hearing what Yagyuu said, the Fukubuchou glared a bit. So it makes more sense for Niou to target him? Well, that's just a crooked way of thinking. Why does he even bother understanding these people anyway? The purple-haired lad continued, ignoring the other boy's reaction, "Then why is she..?"

"That girl..", Sanada peered at the door, "..suddenly covered me. So instead of me, it was her that got hit by the water balloon."

Yagyuu's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "She did?", and at Sanada's confirmation, he adjusted his glasses and tilted his head a bit, before fixing his gaze on the door of the clinic as well. "That was.. quite kind of her."

"Aa."

...

Seigaku..

"Syusuke, will Sakuno-chan come later with you?", said Fuji Yumiko over the phone. "Because I haven't gone to the grocery store yet so if you two are-.."

"No, nee-chan..", the brunette lad interjected, "Ryuzaki-sensei said that Sakuno-chan won't be able to come today. She didn't tell me why though..", his voice then trailed off. He wondered why Sakuno didn't say anything. It's not that he's imposing, it's just that the girl would usually tell him whenever something's up.

The other line went silent. But when the younger sibling opened his mouth to speak again, his sister has beaten him to it.

"Are you worried, Syusuke?"

The male Fuji mulled over her words. Was he worried? Well, there's nothing wrong about being concerned for the welfare of his Kouhai. And it's only natural for him to worry, since he got used now to having her as his company after school and all of a sudden she cancels it without even telling him why. Yes, he has a valid reason to worry.

"..I think so."

Yumiko giggled, "How cute. She's just gone for a day and you're already worried!"

Eh?

"Ah, nee-chan, what are you-.."

"Don't you dare deny it, Syusuke." The brunette lad knitted his brows at her words but didn't argue. His sister has a queer way of seeing things and arguing will be pointless, she's just too stubborn. And what did she exactly mean? "By the way, Yuuta came early this morning, just after you left for school. I was really surprised so I asked him why. He said he just had to escape Mizuki-san.. Apparently, that boy wanted to spy on Rikkaidai. Isn't that your rival school?"

Rikkai? Fuji didn't know why but he suddenly felt disdain for that word. And what irked him more is the mention of the name of a very insignificant yet truly vile entity.

"Mifu-who?"

"Mizuki?"

"..Migu-who?"

"Mizu-.. never mind, Syusuke. Yuuta will be disappointed, he was looking forward to having a taste again of Sakuno's raspberry pie. Oh well. Ja ne."

"Ja ne, nee-chan. Please tell Yuuta I'll be home early to make him one myself. I think I got the hang of it now..", Fuji's voice sounded thoughtful. He still has a long way to go though.

"If you're going to bake, please do avoid putting wasabi in it. Secretly putting spice into his food won't make him get used to spicy foods, okay?"

The lad thought hard over it. He can't understand why his brother doesn't like wasabi. It would've been nice if they had the same preference for food.

"..I'll try."

Fuji then ended the call. Now he feels quite better, knowing his brother's at home. He was a bit peeved earlier and he didn't even know why. And the strange thing was.. Sakuno kept popping into his mind. His finger hovered over the keypads of his phone, trying to decide if he should just call his little friend and ask if she's doing okay.

Well, maybe he should just do that later. Tezuka's currently glaring at him and he knew the five-minute break is up. Right, he'll call her later and inquire her about her day, to put a stop to the nagging voice inside his head and ease him of his worries.

Walking to his fellow regulars, he placed a finger on his chin and smiled sweetly. Hmm, so that Mijuri person is trying to teach his dear brother how to stalk, huh? How nice.. maybe he should give that stalking freak a visit one of these days.

...

"We should have brought Yuuta-kun along with us, he could've learned the way of a true Data master-..", Mizuki stopped as he felt goose bumps crawling on his nape and he shivered.

Atsushi stared at him, "What is it?"

"N-Nothing."

...

"Yukimura and Yagyuu didn't come back. What do you think happened?", asked Jackal as he glanced at Yanagi worriedly, then his eyes drifted to the door of the Student council room, waiting for the two to enter.

"There's a 67.375% chance that the both of them are currently taking care of the mess Niou made. But there's a higher probability of Seiichi 'taking care' of Niou himself."

"He had it coming." The Brazilian shook his head.. then his expression turned into a look of contemplation, "Say.. Can you tell me the percentage of Niou going to prison in the future?"

The Rikkai Data master nodded his assent. He already calculated it a long time ago, of course. "There is a 04.7% chance of Niou getting jailed after graduating."

Silence.

"That's unexpectedly low.."

"It's because Niou will most probably trick the police before they can even get a hold on him. And if ever they succeed, he'll just blackmail the judges and the prosecutor. The other factor is he'll probably wear a disguise if he does something against the law and use another identity, so it won't be him the police will hunt down."

"Another identity? Who?!"

"73.15% that it'll be Genichirou, the rest of the percentage points out to Akaya. So the two of them will most likely be the ones to go to jail instead of him." Jackal looked incredulous so Yanagi continued, "Not to worry. Seiichi will probably help them. And if ever Niou really gets arrested, he has Yagyuu to bail him out."

Sighing in disbelief, Jackal admitted, "I'm.. oddly impressed."

...

"I-I'm finished."

After hearing that, Sanada and Yagyuu once again entered the clinic but as soon as they saw the auburn girl, they both stopped in their tracks and stared. The girl.. looked like she was wearing a dress. The shirt's as long as her skirt and the sleeves reached her elbow. It was too big for her small frame.. and she looked adorable.

But what really surprised them.. is her REALLY long and beautiful, auburn hair that she freed from her usual braids. A portion of it is still a little wet so she must've unbraided them to let them dry.

"Ano.. I'm s-sorry for not introducing myself earlier..", said the girl but they were hardly listening to her, even when she raised her hand to show an enveloped letter.

She looked simply divine, Yagyuu thought. But then he realized that he's been staring, so he tore his gaze away and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. It is rude to stare, he reminded himself of rule #12. A gentleman does NOT stare. However, his eyes caught sight of her again and he threw that rule out the window. For now. It's a good thing that his glasses are opaque.

"..I was sent here to deliver this. I-I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno. Nice t-to meet you.."

Sanada nodded absent-mindedly. He can't help but think that this Ryuzaki girl.. now looks very much like that princess. And it really made him feel weird.

...

Hyotei..

Oshitari closed his eyes and sighed after closing the book in his hand.

"Yuushi?", his doubles partner took a glance at him. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. It's the book I'm reading, it's getting intense."

The red-haired acrobat rolled his eyes. "What? Is the leading lady kidnapped again?", he said sarcastically.

"No." Raising a brow, Oshitari answered, "It's her leading man who's now in a dilemma. It's frustrating, really. Because his bestfriend fell in love with the female protagonist. The two of them are in love with the same girl and their friendship is threatening to fall apart."

They continued to walk in silence after that.

But all of a sudden, Gakuto turned to the bluenette and asked, "If you were the leading man.. what will you do? Ne, Yuushi?", then he gazed at the Hyotei genius intently. "What will you choose? Love.. or friendship?"

Oshitari blinked.. and shrugged indifferently.

"I honestly don't know."

...

It's been a really long day and Sakuno is just so tired. After giving the letter to the Fukubuchou of Rikkaidai Boy's Tennis Club, she returned the jacket (she wanted to wash it but the capped lad refused, saying it was okay), bade them farewell and promised to return the shirt some other day, to which Sanada agreed to.

Even though so many things happened to her today, she was thankful because she met a lot of nice people. And now, her mind is changed. Rikkaidai is great and coming back won't be a bad idea. Before, she thought that the regulars of Rikkai are scary but they proved her wrong. Sanada-san, Yagyuu-san and Niou-san are really kind.. they helped her when she was in need and even lent her a shirt. And the raven-haired boy she saw under the tree didn't seem to be bad too.

Rikkai, like Hyotei, is weird but in a good way and she didn't regret visiting their school. But.. she wonder what happened to her Bentou. Her tummy rumbled.. she hasn't eaten yet.

Walking on the sidewalk, she felt quite uneasy because a lot of people kept looking at her. She knows that the shirt is too big but they shouldn't stare at her like that, it's uncomfortable. Sakuno continued on her way, hoping for a bus to come. She's not familiar with this place after all so she didn't know where the bus stop is.

Her legs felt heavy and she sighed. It was very tiring.. physically, mentally and emotionally. Oh well, she'll just take a nap on the ride home. Spotting a bus from a distance, she smiled in relief.. but then she sneezed. Mou.. looks like she'll be having a cold.

...

"Why does he keep on following you, Choutaro? Hey you! Shoo!", Shishido glared at the gigantic dog. But Beat just continued to wag its tail and rub its head on the silver-haired boy's leg. Exasperated, Shishido made a reach for his cap to tug it down.. then remembered that Beat already tore it to pieces awhile ago and again, glared at the dog.

Ootori just chuckled awkwardly while Gakuto, who just came from the courts with Oshitari and the rest, said with a curious look, "I thought you like dogs."

"I love dogs.. just not THAT."

"Meh.. You just don't like anything that has something to do with Atobe."

"Did Ore-sama just hear you say that? What's not to like about Ore-sama, ahn?"

Shishido scoffed, "Everything. You're like Johnny Bravo, you think you're so cool but no one does. You act like your arrogance is a virtue."

"Ore-sama takes offense to that!"

"S-Shishido-san! Atobe-buchou, what Shishido-san meant was that.. umm.. sometimes, y-your way of speaking can be rude-.."

"Ore-sama is not rude. You're all just insignificant."

"Don't bother, Choutaro."

Oshitari just sighed. They always bicker whenever they're all together but even though they appear to hate each other, he knows them better. They care.. even though they hardly show it.

"Ore-sama wishes you no harm but it would've been better if you have never lived."

Glare. "Let me guess, your parents didn't hug you enough as a kid?"

Yeah, they care.

"Shishido-san!"

"That's a good one!", the resident Acrobat snickered while Hiyoshi just stared at them disappointedly. Sometimes, he can't believe these schmucks are older than him. They act like kids! One day, he's going to Gekokujou them all and show them how a true Hyotei regular should act!

Jirou snored loudly on Kabaji's back who was watching his other teammates idly, used to their daily arguments. Sometimes, he gets tired of it but well, what can he do? And besides, he knows that WAAAAAAY deep inside, Atobe sees them as his close friends. Of course he knows.. he's with him everyday. The Diva has his own (grand) ways of treasuring his friends. And out of all of them, Kabaji understands him the most.

Shaking his head at the older lads, Ootori glanced at the dog and smiled. He knows full well why Beat kept on following him. Atobe's dog is quite amazing, he thought.. because he can smell the girl's ribbon in his pocket.

...

The sun was already setting when the Rikkaidai regulars strolled out of the campus gates together, as if nothing bizarre happened. Well, Sanada would've slaughtered Niou if not for the fact that he saw Yukimura walk out of a building, smiling charmingly while the Trickster looked.. traumatized. And somehow, he felt a bit of pity for the boy. His slap is nothing compared to the mental and emotional torture the blue-haired Buchou can inflict. So the capped lad decided to just let it go since Yukimura already punished the rascal.

"I hate YIPS..", mumbled Niou sullenly as he walked beside his doubles partner, "..And stairs. And sadists."

Yagyuu sighed, "It's your fault for disregarding his order, Niou-kun."

They heard a warm chuckle and both snapped their heads to Yukimura who was behind them and pleasantly said, "At least now you know what NOT to do."

Marui smirked as he took a gum from his pocket, "Sometimes, Niou, you got more balls than brains."

"Shut up or I'll hurt you."

Rubbing the side of his temples, Sanada tried to ignore them but something came to his notice. And it is quite strange, now that he realized it. Someone's being uncharacteristically quiet.. Kirihara. So he slowly turned his head to the Sophomore and saw that he was staring blankly in front of him while muttering something to himself. He felt curious.. but should he even bother? Kirihara's skin is paler than ever.. is he sick? Should he risk it and ask?

Stepping towards the seaweed head, Sanada has barely opened his mouth when his ears caught what the boy was chanting to himself..

"..We made a baby. We made a baby.."

..and his brain melted into a puddle of goo and he froze like a marble statue. It's just too much and his mind went overload. B-Baby..? Oh dear God, BABY?!

"O-Oi, what happened to Sanada?"

"He's not moving.."

"Sanada-kun..?"

"There's a 91.26% probability that Akaya has something to do with this."

Then they all shifted their orbs to Kirihara who just kept on walking without noticing that his Senpai-tachi halted, his eyes spaced out.

"Brat! Oi!"

"Akaya!"

But he didn't seem to hear them. And they were all befuddled.

"What the heck..?", said Marui as he watched the bratling pace away. But seconds later, his expression turned into one of comprehension and he gazed at Niou, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No, I'm not thinking about cakes."

"..Damn you."

"What? You should be honored. You inspire people like me to work out."

But before Marui can even retaliate, an ominous aura suddenly clouded them and a soft voice sweetly spoke in query which made them stand still, petrified, "Niou, Marui.. What have you done?"

Pause.

"It was Marui's idea."

"Don't you pin this on me, you retard!"

"Yes. It was your idea and I have Yagyuu as my witness."

"Niou-kun, please don't.."

"Na, Yagyuu?"

"..."

"Yagyuu?"

"..."

"..Yagyuu?"

"..."

"You traitor."

Jackal, who didn't want anything to do with it, cleverly stepped away and averted his gaze from Marui whose orbs begged him for help. But Yanagi, who took pity on the two, especially Niou who just had a taste of Yukimura's wrath, placed a hand on the captain's shoulder and said, "There's a 78.09% chance that this is all about the birds and the bees." The Child of God blinked confusedly before realizing what his friend is talking about. The Master nodded, "I'll take care of this first thing tomorrow and explain everything to Akaya properly."

Yukimura looked relieved (much to Marui and Niou's relief) and his mood changed. Oh well, he figured the boy would have to learn sooner or later. Then he went to the capped lad and relayed everything to him. Sanada still didn't look fine though.

After regaining his motor and cognitive functions, the capped lad reflected about his past decisions. Why Rikkaidai? Why didn't he just choose Seigaku? Or Yamabuki? Or even Higa? They seemed normal.. so why in the world did he choose Rikkaidai? And why didn't he refill his bottle of aspirins? Kami, he's going to be insane! Maybe life would've been a little kinder if he chose Seigaku.

Seigaku.. that's Ryuzaki's school.

And he suddenly felt glad, knowing she'll be back to return his shirt. But then he realized what he's thinking about and quickly berated himself internally. Why would he feel glad? Shimatta. You're getting too soft, he said to himself mentally. But the more he thought about her brown doe-like eyes that was filled with sincerity, small frame, soft auburn hair and sweet voice, the more he looked forward to seeing her again.

Sanada felt ridiculous. It's not like him to be glad because of such a trivial thing. Once again, her image flashed in his mind and this time, she's all wet and slumped on the floor. The streak of protectiveness he felt earlier woke again and he hoped the auburn head got home safe.

This is not good, he realized.

As the Rikkai regulars got on the intersection (except for the seaweed head who was contemplating about his future), Marui pulled Jackal and stated, "Come on, we have a detour today."

"Eh? Where?", the Brazilian sweat dropped, "The cake shop again?"

"Nah..", the redhead shook his head which really surprised his teammates, "I'm going for an onigiri and you have to go with me."

"O-Onigiri?!", then the second part dawned on Jackal, "Wait, I have to go with you..?"

"Yep. Because you just showed to me what kind of a friend you are when you left me to fend for myself. Yukimura could've easily murdered me but you cowardly stepped away..", Marui looked grim and Jackal rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "So, you're going to help me look for a nice onigiri store and YOU'RE going to treat me."

Jackal sighed in resignation.

"Good luck on your date!", Niou smirked mischievously.

"Go to hell and stay there, will you?"

"Well, I've been to hell..", the Trickster discreetly glanced at Yukimura, "But hell doesn't like me either so I opted to stay here for good."

Having enough, Sanada chose that moment to bid goodbye and so did Niou. A bus stopped in front of them and the Trickster moved to go in it, but not before looking at the Fukubuchou's back who walked to the opposite way. The others, wondering what Niou was staring at, also gazed at the direction Sanada went to.. and simultaneously bursted into peals of laughter as they saw what was taped on the lad's back. Even Yukimura chuckled.

On a piece of paper, were these words written in bold, capital letters:

**TRY ME, I'M DELICIOUS.**

Of course, Niou won't let this day pass without getting the last laugh.

"Puri." And he entered the bus.

...

Tezuka looked outside his bedroom window after placing his school bag on his study table. The rays of the setting sun turned his dark brown hair into a golden hue and the light reflected off his glasses. His gaze landed on a particular house located a few blocks away from theirs. Noting that the lights appeared to be off, then that must mean no one was home. Strange, usually she'll be home by this time, seated in front of her window while doing her homework.

Adjusting his glasses, he roamed his eyes around the house. Where could she be? She was not at school today. She's rarely absent.

He felt a bit of worry, although his features still stayed the same. Tezuka sat on his chair and took his notebooks out to do his assignments. He started on writing, while looking at the girl's window from time to time, waiting for her to come home.

Sanada thought that the girl should be watched over and protected. Well, there IS someone silently watching over the girl from afar.

...

Niou, standing on the aisle of the bus, headed towards the last seat on the back of the bus. But when he got there, his gaze immediately caught sight of someone sitting on the left side, just beside the window. It's the girl he met earlier. The girl who ruined his well-thought out plan.

Ryuzaki Sakuno.

His blue eyes narrowed at her sleeping figure. It annoyed him, really. His plan went crappy and he got tortured by Yukimura, it's not OKAY. Why did she choose to appear at the wrong place and at the wrong time? Dammit, she's really pissing him. She just HAD to move and cover Sanada. What, does she have a hero complex or something? She shouldn't have stick her nose in other people's business.

But then he noticed her appearance and he raised a brow. She's wearing a large, white shirt and her hair.. is unbraided. And he blinked. She must've changed her clothes because of what happened. Sitting beside the girl, he didn't take his eyes off her and just stared, like a hawk watching his prey.

He should get back at her and avenge his misfortune. Yup, he should just do that. But as he continued to stare at her and saw how exhausted she was, how relaxed she looked in her sleep, Niou seemed to have second thoughts. And it irritated him more. She looked so damn peaceful and he didn't have the heart to play a prank on her. It irked him so much but in the end, the only thing he could do was smirk at himself.

The girl looked.. nice. He'll admit that. Just nice, nothing more. And he kept repeating it in his mind. Just nice. She's just nice. But no matter how much he repeated it, he can't seem to tear his gaze away from her though. Truth be told, she looked nice.. like a little kitten, he thought. And that, coming from him, is a big compliment. Her hands were placed on her lap and her head is leaning on the window pane. Her chest moved with her steady breathing as the sun gave her long, auburn hair a reddish tint. And when his eyes went on her pale face, Niou can't help but think that she must've had a rough day. Her innocent face clearly showed the weariness she's feeling as the crease on her brow deepened. And his damn conscience poked him again. And again. And again.

Well, damn.

Shaking his head, Niou turned to the other side. It's her fault anyway for meddling. He shouldn't concern himself with someone like her. But when he heard a sneeze beside him, he quickly snapped his gaze to the girl. She's got a cold. And his conscience pricked him again. Giving up, he made a reach for his bag and rummaged it. When his fingers found what he's been looking for, he pulled it out and placed his bag down again.

It's his Rikkai uniform scarf. Niou raised it and gently put it around the girl's neck, careful not to wake her up. After doing so, he looked at her again and smirked. It suited her.

Niou is not a guy who says sorry when he does something bad. Oftentimes, he'd make it worse. He's not used to apologizing, because he never had to. And him giving his scarf to her.. was his own way of asking for forgiveness.

He released a deep breath and closed his orbs, with the smirk still lingering on his lips. But when he suddenly felt the bus jolt and the girl's head on his shoulder.. his smirk faded and he stilled. The warning bells in his head rang, alarming him. But when his gaze went to her, Niou decided he didn't mind.

...

When Sakuno arrived home, her grandmother was astounded to see her wearing a big shirt, a scarf and her hair was UNBRAIDED. She quickly fired the girl with questions, one after another, her voice getting louder and louder by the second. The auburn-haired girl answered her, but she can that Sakuno's lying to her about something though. Sakuno told her that she just clumsily fell unto a fountain and someone was kind enough to lend her a shirt. Sumire was suspicious.. Fountain? But she can't really eliminate the possibility of that really happening, even though it sounded silly. Because outrageous things happen to the girl everyday. But what mattered is that Sakuno is fine and she hugged her tightly.

"How was Hyotei and Rikkai?", Sumire leaned away to look at the girl.

Sakuno's face lit and she smiled, "They're really great, Obaa-chan."

"Good. Well, you should go get changed and I'll prepare dinner. You must be hungry."

Nodding, because she's really hungry indeed, Sakuno climbed the stairs to her room and went inside. Turning on the lights, the girl saw herself at the mirror and smiled. But then her fingers went on the scarf around her neck.. and she blinked. When she woke up, it was on her already but there was nobody around who could've put it on her. The other passengers were already gone.

Whoever it was, Sakuno was thankful. It felt really warm and nice.

...

Tezuka perked up as the lights on her window turned on and he saw her silhouette through her curtains. He was glad she's home.

"Mitsu, dinner's ready."

The lad turned to his mom who's now standing on the doorway and he nodded before stepping away from the window. His mom peered at him with a knowing look and she smiled as a thought came to her mind.. He's watching her again.

...

Shiraishi returned from his bathroom with only a towel on, his light-brown hair stll wet because of his quick shower. But when he was just about to go to his cabinet to find his pyjamas, his greyish-brown orbs noticed something crawling over his phone that was on his desk.

It's Gabriel, his pet beetle.

"O-Oi, how did you get out of there, Gabriel?", he quickly went to his beloved pet and placed it on his hand. His gaze shifted to its little house and he frowned, his sister must've opened it.

...

Sakuno, who just finished washing the dishes, was on her way to her room when she heard a ringing from the living room. Curious, she strode to the said room and was surprised to find her Obaa-chan's phone on the couch. Her grandma must've left it.

She took it and gazed at the screen, and saw an unknown number calling. Her Obaa-chan is still in the kitchen though. So, thinking it must be someone important, clicked the 'answer' button.

"H-Hello?"

...

Shiraishi took a glance at his phone and saw its screen was on the 'dialed numbers' and apparently, Gabriel redialed one of them. An unknown number. And before he can even press the 'end' button..

"H-Hello?", he heard a soft and sweet voice say from the other line.

So he picked it up, lifted it to his mouth and muttered a, "Hello?"

...

**TBC**

...

**A/N: So, how was it? Please give a review, it keeps me going :) Thank you so much to everyone who made an effort to give me feedbacks and clicked the 'Follow' and 'Favorite' buttons. You guys are awesome. Thank you for reading.**

**Kirihara's character, I think, is really innocent that's why I decided to depict him as an innocent lad here. I mean, he CRIED when he SLAPPED Sanada in Dream Live 7th. He even went, "Fukubuchou~..", then sobbed and hugged the Emperor like a kid. Have you guys watched that already? He's a sweet boy. **

**Don't worry, Yuki-Saku fans, Yukimura WILL meet her. They'll have their moment. So will the other characters. By the way, in the Shitenhouji part, about Nagashi Soumen, in reality, they really do go out to eat it whenever they have a misunderstanding. Foods rock.**

**And Dun dun dun dun.. Here is the current poll result!**

**Yukimura Seiichi- 20%**

**Fuji Syusuke- 14%**

**Tezuka Kunimitsu- 11%**

**Sanada Genichirou- 10%**

**Niou Masaharu- 9%**

**Shiraishi Kuranosuke- 8%**

**Oshitari Yuushi- 6%**

**Kirihara Akaya- 5%**

**Atobe Keigo- 4%**

**Marui Bunta- 4%**

**Kikumaru Eiji- 2%**

**Shishido Ryou- 1%**

**I added other names and for those who don't have an account, no worries, I'll count your votes. For those who hasn't vote yet, just go to my profile and click the name of your favorite characters. You can choose up to three. Please leave a review! :))**

**Oh, and I HAVE A NEW STORY. It's titled "Baby Blues" so if it's not too much of a bother, check it out, please? It's a series of one-shots about what kind of a father your favorite Prince will be. Of course, as Sakuno as the mom. First is Kirihara Akaya! Chapter Two kinda inspired me and I thought.. What if he really becomes a Dad? Oh yeah. And you can give me requests! Happy Father's Day to your dads!**


	4. Tangled Destinies

Chapter Four:

Tangled Destinies

...

**Everything happens for a reason. Nothing in this world is a product of a mere coincidence. When a person comes into your life, they either stubbornly stay or quickly go, but not without leaving a footprint. No matter how long or short the time you spent with them, they'd leave you with something. It may be a big and life-changing lesson or a little reminder the Gods from above wanted you to learn through those people. **

**And I was lucky, to have my Senpai-tachi and a lot of other people as my God-sent 'Teachers'. **

**...**

Kirihara was slumped on the floor in front of his television, his back resting against the side of his bed that was covered with a blue sheet. It's been half an hour since the movie started, but his forest green orbs were not focused on the anime playing on the screen. He didn't even bother watch or pop a piece of his snack into his mouth. The boy just sat there with a faraway expression on his face, the remote placed carelessly on his lap. And because he was absorbed in his thoughts, Kirihara didn't hear the clicking of his doorknob nor did he notice his mom entering with a frown on her face.

"Akaya, you're wasting your time again with that."

Jumping in slight surprise, the seaweed head snapped his head to the direction of the voice with wide eyes. "Ah, 'Kaa-san!"

His mom continued to reprimand him, her green eyes (which he inherited) disapproving and her hands firmly on her waist, "You need to stop watching T.V. and read more."

Read? Fine. So the seaweed head raised the remote and turned on the 'subtitles' then shifted back his gaze to the screen with a glum look. He can read just fine, he doesn't need those trashy English books. Why the heck does he even have to learn that language? They're in Japan!

His mom looked indignant and huffed in annoyance. Her son is sweet and all, but when it comes to his study habits and hobbies, she can't help but be irritated. He should be reading a book, not spending away his time watching some cartoons. And his room, it's really a mess!

"If you don't want to study, then just go clean your room!"

The seaweed head made a petulant pout, obviously not in the mood to argue nor clean his room, "But this is MY room."

"And this is my house!"

"Then you go clean it."

His mom glared at him for a moment, but afterwards, sighed heavily and approached her son. Of course, she can feel it. She's his MOM, after all. The moment he came back from school with a strange glaze in his usually bright eyes, she knew something's not right. And the untouched bowl of snack is enough to prove that. The lad's usually talkative whenever he gets home, whining about this and that or boasting happily about what he did at the Tennis club, and it usually ends with the phrase, 'I'll beat those monsters someday!', but today, he's eerily silent. She eyed him carefully and sat on the soft bed behind the raven-haired boy.

"Okay, what's the matter, Akaya?", her voice became soft, knowing that shouting won't get her anywhere. She reached out and gently placed a hand on her son's head, her gaze one of genuine motherly concern. "Is there something wrong?"

Kirihara blinked and glanced at her, noticing the sudden change in her tone. And when his orbs finally caught sight of her face, he felt guilty. She was looking at him with that same expression she wears whenever she comes to his room and checks if he's already asleep (oftentimes, he's still awake and only pretends to be sleeping). Then she walks to him and gives him a kiss on his forehead. He didn't know what to call that look though, but it really made him feel good.

He talked back yet here she is, being patient with him. And the guilt in his chest worsened. The boy slowly shook his head and averted his green eyes. He did something wrong, something irreversible. Hell, he made a baby!

"Akaya..", his mom gave him a small smile and ruffled his black, curly hair. "Are you sure? You can tell me anything."

Nope, he can't. Again, he shook his head vigorously and gulped. His mom raised a brow as she saw his face. It's how he looks like whenever he does something bad. Like when she caught him stealing from the cookie jar when he was a kid. She wondered what happened to him, but she can feel that he's not prepared to tell her yet. Guess she'll have to wait. So the woman rose and moved to go out the door.

"Just tell me once you're up to it, okay? I'm not used to seeing you like that." She stepped out, but then halted, "But it doesn't excuse you from cleaning your room, Akaya", then she closed the door shut behind her.

The boy felt like crap. He felt guilty because he did something that will very much disappoint his parents. For sure, they'll be angry with him.

But.. he's a Kirihara. He shouldn't just sulk in a corner and pity himself. What's done is done, no sense to regret it over and over again. There must be something he can do! Right! Nodding approvingly to himself, he got up and reached for his phone.

If he's going to be a father, he should at least know who the mother is, ne? So the seaweed head heaved a deep, calming breath and started to dial a number: Yanagi's. After the third ring, his Senpai picked it up and spoke.

"Akaya, it's a good thing you called. My data didn't predict this though.. Anyway, I have something to tell-.."

"I NEED YOUR HELP, SENPAI!"

...

"Hello?", Shiraishi muttered inquisitively, quite intrigued by the voice on the other line. It was soft and meek, and he can tell that the one who answered is a girl.. Wait, a girl? He doesn't remember calling any girl today aside from his younger sister, Yukari. So, why is her number on the list of his 'dialed numbers'?

"H-Hai. Ano.."

Definitely a girl. Then how did-.. Oh right, Osamu-sensei borrowed his phone earlier. Didn't he call the coach of Seigaku? But as far as he knows, the coach is already.. old, no offense meant to her. So her voice shouldn't be this young. Who is this, then?

"..T-This is Ryuzaki Sumire's phone..", he heard her speak in that sweet tone of hers, "I'm her g-granddaughter. M-My Obaa-chan is not available at the.. m-moment."

Sou ka, so she's the granddaughter of the Dragon coach? Whoa, this is a surprise. The old coach is known for her wise coaching skills, scary demeanor and thunderous voice. To think that she has a granddaughter who seems to be her opposite.. Really, the younger Ryuzaki sounds nice and her voice is pleasing to the ears. Oh well, he should apologize for what Gabriel did.

He issued his pet a scolding look as he gave the girl a response, "Ah, gomen. Sorry for disturbing, I didn't mean to call-.. it's just, Gabriel accidentally redialed your grandmother's number, you see." Shaking his head, he broke into a fond smile. He can't really get angry with the adorable creature. Gabriel is just too damn irresistible.

"Eh? I-It's fine.." A pause. "G-Gabriel?"

"Yes, my beetle."

The girl on the other line didn't answer and the handsome lad blinked in confusion. But as he repeated his own words in his mind, he realized he sounded like some weirdo. A beetle calling someone? It must be hard to imagine but these things DO happen. It's not the first time Gabriel did something like this, so he's used to it. But to other people, it must be baffling.

Shiraishi opened his mouth, intending on revising what he said when soft giggles reached his hearing. It was child-like and there was a queer kind of innocence in it, that he suddenly felt like laughing at himself too instead of being offended.

"A-A beetle?", she sounded genuinely surprised and he can sense that she was smiling excitedly. There was a hint of interest and awe in her voice too. "How?"

Chuckling sheepishly, he beamed lovingly at his pet, "Gabriel got out of his house. I don't know how though, he has his ways. He always does this whenever he has the chance. And he accidentally called other people before too." He smiled as the endearing memory flashed in his mind.

"That's amazing.. G-Gabriel-chan is amazing!"

Gabriel-chan? This girl's cute.

"He is, isn't he?", he winked charmingly at the small creature on his palm. "He's one smart beetle. And adorable too." The lad can't help but feel proud, like a parent, whenever Gabriel is the subject of a conversation. The little cutie even defeated King of Satan, Atobe Keigo's beetle, in a competition. It was a glorious day. "He's won a few contests himself."

"S-Sugoi!", the soft voice chirped with unfeigned amazement. And it made Shiraishi glad, knowing that there are other people out there who can sincerely appreciate beetles too. And a girl. Oftentimes, the girls at his school would only talk to him about Gabriel to impress him, plastering fake expressions of astonishment. He hates it when they do that, practically throwing themselves at a guy. Others.. would look bored as soon as he talks about his pet. And the worst part is, the others would be weirded out or scared to touch Gabriel. This girl had no reason to impress him, she doesn't even know he's Shiraishi Kuranosuke. "I-I never had a pet beetle before and I've never seen one do something like that. Did.. you train him?"

And they continued to chat, forgetting the fact that they don't even know each other's names. Shiraishi, although it was unusual for him to talk to someone he doesn't even know over the phone, talked on and on, as his love for beetles got perked by the girl.

...

"A girl?", repeated Yanagi, just making sure if he was hearing him right. This sort of thing never happened before, and he hadn't noticed their Kouhai paying any attention to any particular girl, so why is he so interested to know about this girl he's asking him about? Kirihara utterly defied his data! He should ask the others about this.

"Yeah! Uh, she has.. umm, braids! They're really, really, really long! And her hair is kinda light reddish mixed with brown-.."

Yanagi raised a brow, his usually closed eyes threatening to open, "Auburn?"

"Right! And.. her eyes are so brown too! And big! And.. And.."

"And?", the older Rikkai regular prompted gently.

"Her uniform is not like ours! So she must be from another school! Do you know anyone who visited our school today? Ne? Ne, Yanagi-senpai?"

Auburn? An outsider? An image vividly came to the Master's mind and puzzlement crossed his features. How did the boy know about her? Yanagi had a bad feeling about this. Should he tell him the answer? Well, the boy came to him for help. As a Senpai, he shouldn't deprive him of something that seemed so important to him. Telling him a name couldn't possibly get him into trouble, could it?

There was a short silence as Kirihara eagerly waited for the answer. And finally..

"Yes. There were approximately nine outsiders today but one of them fits your descriptions. Seiichi told me about this girl who came to deliver a letter. She even saved Genichirou from humiliation. Long auburn braids, brown eyes and a different uniform.. I believe her name is Ryuzaki Sakuno. She's from Seigaku."

Ryuzaki Sakuno? Seigaku? Kirihara can't believe his luck, he knows who she is now, and he even found out about her school. He has a lead! He knew he could count on his Senpai!

"Akaya, by the way, there's something I have to say-.."

"Thanks, Senpai!", and Kirihara wrapped up their conversation, his mind already skyrocketing to the air with his brilliant idea. He's going to solve this on his own. Damn right, he will! He knew what his Senpai-tachi would tell him once they find out, he can just imagine it!

'Be a man and suck it up!', that would probably be Niou-senpai or Marui-senpai.

'Do what you think is best..', his Buchou, Yanagi-senpai and Jackal-senpai are the ones most likely to say that to him.

'Take responsibility for your actions!', Fukubuchou and Yagyuu-senpai would chew him up with their codes and such.

So he's going to do just that. He'll face the consequences like a man and take responsibility for what he did. He's not a coward. Yup, his Senpai-tachi will be surprised when they see how mature he is in facing this crisis.

Tomorrow morning, he will go to Seigaku and meet the mother of his baby!

...

Shiraishi replied with a big smile, his greyish brown orbs bright, "I taught him other tricks as well. He's a fast learner!"

"R-Really? It's really possible to teach them?"

"Of course!", there was amusement in the handsome lad's voice. "He can get past an obstacle course as long as there's protein jelly. And-.."

"Sakuno! Can you come over and help me for a second?", another loud voice interrupted him and the girl, who was apparently named Sakuno, answered in affirmative before talking to him again.

"E-Eto, I'm really sorry but Obaa-chan needs me. Ano.. it was nice talking to you! And-.."

"Sakuno!", the other voice called again in urgency.

"H-Hai, Obaa-chan!", the girl said. Obaa-chan? It's Ryuzaki-sensei? Figures. "Gabriel-chan is really amazing. Ah.. I gotta go now. Have a pleasant night!"

"Oh, you too..-", but the auburn head abruptly ended the call.

Shiraishi was a little disappointed. He was having quite an unexpectedly good chat with her about Gabriel. He didn't thought he'll talk to her about anything, just a simple apology and then he'd say goodbye. It was nice to talk with a potential beetle enthusiast, who didn't have an ulterior motive unlike other girls. But it was a little odd though that she didn't seem bothered by the fact that she was talking to a stranger. And she didn't even ask his name. Maybe it's because she got excited when he told her about Gabriel and it slipped her mind. Or maybe it's just in her nature.

Nevertheless, it was an interesting conversation. And honestly, Shiraishi's quite curious about this Ryuzaki Sakuno girl. Nothing special, just sheer curiosity.

"Oi, Gabriel, what were you thinking.. calling a random number, ne?", he placed the beetle back unto the glass case, and it crawled into a pile of leaves as soon as its feet touched the bottom. "You could've gotten me into trouble. What if it was Ryuzaki-sensei who answered the phone? It would surely be embarrassing. I can't just tell her a beetle called her." But then his features brightened as he swept a hand through his wet light-brown hair, "Luckily, that soft-spoken girl was the one who got the call.. Sakuno. She's really interested in you."

Shiraishi wondered if he'll be able to talk to her again if ever he dials the coach's number. It would've been nice to have someone to talk to about his Gabriel and other stuff. She seemed like a good listener too, which is exactly what he needs after a long day from school, since he's always the one listening to his teammates argue, Koharu and Yuuji's declarations of love and/or breakups, Zaizen's tactless comments, Kintarou's loud exclamations, Kenya's endless bragging, and many more. He'll always be the one to manage them, comfort them or most recently, be their referee. It's a wonder how he puts up with all of them. It would've been really nice to be able to talk about these with someone.. And the good part is she doesn't know him. So she'll have no pretense whatsoever. He felt that she was sincere and honest, so befriending her won't be a bad idea.

...

Niou's steel blue eyes continued to stare unblinkingly at the screen of his phone, his legs lazily propped up on the black couch he's sitting on. It was odd, that he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from it. He still couldn't think of a reason why, but he didn't really care. He just liked looking at it.

"Haru! Can you turn on the oven?", his mom shouted from her room. She probably wanted to re-heat the food since his dad's gonna arrive home any minute now.

The silver-haired lad sat up and answered back with a grin playing on his lips, "Puri. Mom, I've done everything I can but the oven simply does not find me sexually attractive!"

"HARU!"

"Alright, alright..", the lad rolled his eyes and glanced at the screen again, before reluctantly closing it and putting it on the table. He took a picture of Sakuno just before getting off the bus and since then indulged himself with it. But even without the actual picture (that he titled 'Kitten') in front of him, he can still see her clearly because the image of her wearing that large, white shirt, his scarf wrapped around her delicate neck and her auburn hair laid beautifully over her shoulders as she sleeps.. got imprinted on his mind, every detail precisely etched. The only problem now is that it got stuck there and he knew there'll be no way to get that image out of his head.

...

Sakuno prepared for bed early. She was feeling quite tired and her pillow was beckoning her enticingly. Laying her head on the soft object, her mind replayed everything that happened and a smile tugged on her pink lips. Hyotei, Rikkai and that accidental phone call. It's incredible how so many unexpected things occurred in just one day.

Her hand reached for the scarf on her bedside table and held it close to her. She didn't know why but it had a certain something that comforted her, a feeling of serenity. And as she closed her brown orbs to sleep, one more thought came to her mind: It was fun. But she missed Seigaku.

"Achoo!"

Oh, geez.

...

...

The morning breeze tossed Tezuka's brown fringes playfully as the lad strode his way to school. His spectacles shone as the rays of the rising sun hit it. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes for a bit as he felt the warm sunshine gracing his face. The front of his black uniform jacket moved as he breathes, and from afar, he looked really peaceful.

"O-Ohayou gozaimasu, Tezuka-senpai."

And his brown eyes flashed open. How did he not notice..? Slowly, his gaze went to the auburn-haired girl walking a few steps away from him and when their eyes met, he curtly nodded to her before fixing his eyes in front of him again. It's not often that she goes to school early so he didn't thought he'll be able to walk with her today. The only times he'd walk with her was after school.

Walking home with her had been an unconscious habit. It all started at the first day of school this year. But on the first two months, she rarely noticed him because he'd always make it a point to walk a few feet behind her, so as not to make her feel uncomfortable. There are times she'd see him and of course, she'd courteously acknowledge the captain, as usual, with her hands fidgeting uneasily. But on the third month, she got used to walking the same pace as him and on the fourth month, it seemed like she didn't mind his stoic silence and even became comfortable with it. They'd walk together in quietude and tranquility, but there'd still be a polite distance between them. Good thing that the others didn't know about it or it'll just spread another senseless gossip.

It was not much, but the bespectacled lad was content with it, at least he'd still be able to be in her presence and see to her safety. It was fine with him, as long as he can still have a glimpse of her warm smile. It was a small bliss that he greatly appreciated, although he won't admit it nor show it openly.

But.. it all changed when she started meeting up with Fuji after practice. He'd see her waiting for the prodigy outside of the clubhouse and then they'd walk off to the brunette's residence. The two would stroll away.. and he could only do nothing but watch. It was hard, but his usual facade was enough to conceal it.

It's been a while since Tezuka and Sakuno last walked together, so seeing her again on the same road as him was quite a surprise. A pleasant surprise. Once again, his brown eyes turned to her discreetly. She's smiling softly to herself, her auburn braids dancing behind her cutely.. and it pleased him.

She hadn't changed a bit.

His gaze lingered on her longer than he intended to, but he tore it away before she can even notice. They continued to go on their way, neither trying to initiate a conversation because they didn't feel the need to do so. Green leaves fell from the trees and a flock of white birds soared across the blue sky, adding more to the beauty of the moment. They just enjoyed the comfortable silence and walked.. but it was all shattered when a sneeze came from the auburn head that made the taller figure whip his head to her.

...

Shitenhouji..

Shiraishi sauntered towards the clubhouse, and thinking that he must be the first one to arrive (as usual), fished the keys from his back pocket and made a move to unlock the door when he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Strange, he knows that he locked it yesterday before leaving. Not only that, the lights inside are on too! The Shitenhouji Buchou is always the earliest to come to practice (he hates tardiness A LOT) and the last one to exit the door everyday. And he's the only one who has a spare key aside from their coach, so who got here before him?

Slowly, he grabbed the knob and pushed it open, his greyish brown orbs alert. But when he stepped inside and searched for whoever is in there, he found no one. Okay, this is strange. What the heck's..-

"Are you sneaking up on me, Kura-rin~?"

A voice sounded behind the door, and it honestly made his skin crawl. So he quickly whirled around and was welcomed by the unholy sight of Koharu wearing nothing but a pink towel around him and his glasses. Dear God.

"W-What are you doing here? And.. why are you only in a towel..?", Shiraishi looked horrified, appalled and simply.. bewildered. He took a step back, just in case Koharu does something funny. Or violating. Or any of the two. And he strongly wished Hitoji wasn't around because JESUS CHRIST, THIS IS THEIR CLUBHOUSE! THAT WILL BE BRAINSCAR AT ITS FINEST!

"Well, I was in the middle of changing my uniform when I heard someone coming so of course, I had to cover myself!", Koharu indignantly replied with his usual girly voice. And he sounded like a girl with PMS. But then his lips curled into a sly smile and he added suggestively, with matching wiggly eyebrows, "Or would you like to see me naked, ne Kura-rin~?"

"Don't make me hurt you."

The Gay genius pouted exaggeratedly, "Okay, fine. You don't know what you're missing though~.."

Shiraishi just gave him a blank stare before sighing exasperatedly. Then he placed his Tennis bag on a chair, went to his locker and opened it, all the while shaking his head at the other boy's antics. Koharu chuckled and also went to his own locker.

"I'm just kidding. You know I'm faithfully devoted to Yuu-kun~"

"I thought you two broke up yesterday?"

"Nah, he can't live without me. So I can't possibly date you, no matter how much you want to, Kura-rin~.."

"Will you please stop that?"

"And..", Koharu suddenly dropped the towel (which made Shiraishi twitch), revealing that he was already wearing his shorts then he took his light-green and yellow jersey from the locker and wore it over his head. "I know you have someone else~", the other half of the Baka pair giggled, his glasses glinting evilly.

Turning his head to the boy, Shiraishi furrowed his brows and pointed to himself with his index finger, "I do?"

Koharu nodded sagely, then placed a hand on his chin and offered, "Would you like me to remind you?", and without waiting for his Buchou's assent, he started, "Yesterday night, 9:27 p.m., in your room, Kabu-chan escaped from his house and crawled over to your phone, redialing an unknown number in the process. And you came just in time with a towel on, fresh from the shower. Before you can even end the unintended call, someone answered it, a young girl named Ryuzaki Sakuno and soon after, the two of you chatted like old friends." He panted for breath for a second, then continued, "Ryuzaki Sakuno is the granddaughter of the Seigaku Boys' Tennis Club's coach, Ryuzaki Sumire. She is a student of Seigaku, thirteen years old, a member of the Girls' Tennis Club, its unofficial cheering squad and the Music club. A classmate of Echizen Ryoma and a fan of him as well. Her grades are average and her appearance is.. well, she's cute. Auburn hair, brown eyes, petite but also known for her poor sense of direction. When she was seven years old, there was a group of kids who would always make fun of her, but luckily there's this cute little boy who.."

While Koharu kept on reciting the facts he knew about the said girl, Shiraishi's eyes were slowly widening in shock and disbelief. Not because of the enormous amount of data the Gay genius has but because of the realization that suddenly dawned on him. How in the world did Koharu find out about the phone call, Gabriel's escapade and most of all, how did he know that HE WAS ONLY WEARING A DARN TOWEL AND THAT HE JUST HAD A DARN SHOWER WHEN THAT HAPPENED?

Oh damn. Not again.

His face turned into a deathly shade of white and he felt a shiver race down his spine, "W-Were you spying on me again? What the heck, did you put a hidden camera in my room or something, how did you know all that? Didn't I tell you not to do that again?! I was only in a towel.. A TOWEL!"

His teammates are good people. But sometimes, they just give him the creeps.

"Of course not! How dare you accuse me, Kura-rin?", Koharu said in retaliation, "I was just.. gathering some data..", when Shiraishi glared at him, he added, "No cameras, I swear."

"Then how did you know?", the Bible's voice was calmer this time.

"I have my ways, like Kabu-chan..~", the Gay genius tapped his temple, his glasses gleaming brightly. "But, we're not talking about that. We're talking about you having someone in your life."

Shiraishi released a weary sigh, "I don't even know her. And it was just an accidental phone call." He has a feeling that this is one of Koharu's dating schemes, and perhaps, the Gay genius deliberately came early to wait for him because he knows that Shiraishi will arrive early as well. Koharu already tried to set him up with a lot of girls before, but nothing worked. No, he won't fall for this.

"So? You liked talking to her, didn't you?", Koharu smirked knowingly and sat on a chair in front of the window, "It doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to court her, but it'll be really nice to have someone to talk to, right? After a long and tiring day from school.. It's great to chat with someone who won't scream their lungs out at you and hit on you just because you're popular and handsome. It's not everyday you'd find someone who'll talk to you the way she did, so honest and sincere, and not every girl likes Kabu-chan."

The Buchou just rubbed the back of his head and darted his gaze to his locker, but he was still listening.

"It's fun to have a phonepal, it's like having a talking diary. You can say whatever you want and you won't feel conscious. You won't be judged because the two of you don't know each other personally. And the best thing is, your diary can talk back." Koharu subtly studied his friend, trying to see if his persuasion powers are working.

"Look, I don't even have her number-.."

"No prob. Here!", the Gay genius sprang up and whipped something from his locker, then raised it for Shiraishi to see. It was a paper with a mobile number and the name 'Ryuzaki Sakuno' scribbled on it. He stepped towards the Bible and placed it in his pocket. "Give it a shot, okay?", then he moved away and briefly glanced at his wristwatch. "The others should be here in a couple of minutes."

The light-brown haired lad just blinked in confusion, then he lowered his head and saw the other end of the paper peeking through his pocket. It's quite amazing how Koharu can do that. But then again, although he's all play and jokes, Shiraishi has to remember that Koharu is a Data master, a worse stalker than Inui Sadaharu and Mizuki Hajime combined.

Should he.. try it? He hadn't had a phonepal before and.. well, he's not familiar with the way having a phonepal works. It could be fun.. So, should he?

"Oh, right.. How did you get in here, by the way?", the Buchou asked just before the other boy could exit the clubhouse.

"I told you already. I have my ways~..", and Koharu winked flirtatiously at him before leaving to meet Hitoji who just arrived.

Shiraishi noted that he should check every single corner in his room for any hidden camera, recorder or transmitter. Koharu wouldn't go as far as wire-tapping, would he? God, he can never be too sure.

...

"What was that about?", asked Hitoji, his eyes suspicious, as soon as Koharu got to him, his hands on his back. Uh-oh, he knows that gesture. Koharu's up to something. Again.

His lover just smiled gleefully and glanced at the door of the clubhouse, where Shiraishi was still standing with a thoughtful look on his handsome features, "I just.. gave Kura-rin a little push."

"Is this what you were talking about last night over the phone? The phonecall he had? So you really are going to set him up with that girl?", the blue-haired regular slightly frowned as he fingered his hair away from his face, "I've already lost count of the number of times you failed. Don't you learn? He's just not into that sort of stuff right now. You gotta stop playing cupid, Koharu."

"But it's perfect! Don't you see, Yuu-kun? It's destiny! Kabu-chan made a way for them to meet! Kura-rin enjoyed talking to her, and that rarely happens! Sooo romantic! To think that they met over an accidental call because of a beetle? Kawaii~!", the Gay genius sighed dreamily as he adjusted his glasses, then he looked up into the sky dramatically.

"Kabu-chan didn't know what he was doing..-"

"Exactly my point!"

"And you're dragging Yukari-chan into this. What if Shiraishi finds out that you're making his own sister spy on him? Or if he discovers that spy bug you made her put inside Kabu-chan's house?"

"That's a part of my plan!", Koharu argued, stubbornly crossing his arms, "Even if he does find out, he will never get angry with her! This is really perfect, I'm telling you. I know Kura-rin. He doesn't like girls who hit on him, he wants to be the one doing the chasing, the courting and all. Old-fashioned, I must say. But in a place like this where the majority of the female population are his fangirls who would go after him like dogs with rabies, it's hard to find Ms. Right. That Ryuzaki girl doesn't know him so I bet she's genuine, she's a great candidate! He can at least give it a try, na? She likes Gabriel, so it's a plus! It's about time he finds himself a girlfriend. He'd been so busy with taming us, this is the least we can do."

The headband-wearing lad spoke flatly, "This is going to fail."

"No, it won't!"

"It will."

"Do you really wanna break up with me?"

"So do you need my help in this plan of yours?"

Koharu giggled triumphantly. "I knew you'd come to your senses."

Shaking his head in defeat, Hitoji just moved to casually drape an arm over Koharu's shoulder. But his ears then caught something and he sighed. "But there's still a little problem with your plan."

"What~?"

And all of a sudden, a redhead ran right in the middle of the Baka pair, separating them comically and into the clubhouse, yelling, "SHIRAISHIIIIIIII! KENYA CONFIRMED WHAT YOU SAID! HIS COUSIN REALLY IS A SUPERHEROOOO! HE WEARS HIS BRIEFS OUTSIDE HIS CLOTHES LIKE SUPERMAN!"

Being a dataman, the Gay genius knew who Onigiri-hime really is, but he didn't give it much importance since he was too immersed in finding a girl for the Buchou. Now that he just realized the situation, Koharu's glasses lost its glint (although the word BRIEFS piqued his attention and he wondered what the freshman is talking about). "Oh right."

"Does Shirashi know that the Ryuzaki girl and Onigiri-hime are one and the same?"

"..He saw Onigiri-hime personally but he didn't know her true name.."

"What will you do then?"

"..."

"Oi?"

"Kin-chan can't possibly have a crush on her, can he?", Koharu hopefully gazed at Hitoji, "I mean.. he's still too childish and all. Tennis and food are his only priorities. Him having a crush on a girl will alter the foundations of logic."

Hitoji just shrugged, unsure of what to say. But honestly, there was a voice inside of him saying that there's a big chance that Koharu is wrong (it rarely happens though). And.. seeing how lively and happy the boy is, he didn't want to see Kintarou's heart be crushed this early in his life. Especially, not in the hands of his captain, Shiraishi.

...

Something strange occurred to Sakuno today. And her brain is still trying to comprehend what really happened. She knew the Seigaku captain was kind, it's obvious in the way he cares for his teammates. But what she didn't expect is for his kindness to extend to her.

The first time she realized that the both of them walks the same road to and from school, it was awkward. She didn't know what to do and how to act. Fortunately, the older lad didn't seem to notice her because he'd walk behind her with a good distance between them. He won't even look up and for that, the auburn head was thankful. She just feels so nervous whenever the stoic Buchou is around.

But after a few days, she decided that she can't continue on pretending that he's not there. So one day, she went to him and gave him a polite greeting. And when it was over, she came to the realization that it isn't as hard as she thought. Tezuka-senpai won't bite, there's nothing to feel worried about. And because she didn't want the Buchou to think that she's ignoring him or being disrespectful, on the days that followed, she tried to walk beside him. Not really 'beside' because of course, she has to maintain the distance. He's not a talker, absolutely not. So it was uncomfortable at first but then she eventually got used to it, even to the point where she found it nice. Sakuno soon got accustomed to his silence.

She began to like strolling with him, because first, he's quiet and walking with a quiet person makes her appreciate their surroundings.. the birds, sky, trees, flowers and all. Walking in peaceful silence gives her time to think of anything and just inhale the fresh air given by the trees around them. Also, Sakuno liked the sense of safety and calmness he radiates. It's like nothing bad will happen as long as he's around.

That's why Sakuno woke up early today. She knew that she won't be able to walk home with Tezuka today, so she opted to walk to school with him instead. That way, she'd still be able to have a stroll with the respected lad. Because honestly, she missed walking with the brown-haired Buchou. It was odd to miss something like that, but she guessed it must be because she just got too used to him.

Sakuno pressed the soft fabric of the handkerchief between her dainty fingers. Tezuka held it out to her after she sneezed awhile ago. She was so red-faced and embarrassed! And she just had to forget to bring her handkerchief. But then a folded light-blue handkerchief came to her vision and when she raised her head, Tezuka was in front of her. There was no scrutiny in his brown eyes, but just plain concern and.. an odd warmth. But even though it was something she rarely sees, she didn't feel uncomfortable. It actually made her feel better as something akin to familiarity tugged at her. It's as if she'd seen it somewhere.

She then realized the Buchou is not as cold and unfeeling as everyone thought.

Once again, the girl lifted it to her face and took a whiff of its scent. It was so fragrant and it strangely smelled like cherry blossoms. Sakuno have always liked cherry blossoms.

...

Seigaku..

Fuji's lips curled into a serene smile when he saw Sakuno's petite form from a distance, walking to the gates of Seigaku. His brunette strands swayed gracefully as he raised his arm to give her a wave. He was actually waiting for her to arrive, so he opted to wait outside the school. But when his cerulean blue orbs spotted someone walking beside the auburn head, he stopped midway and stared.

Seeing Sakuno and Tezuka together made him feel odd.

"Sakuno-chan! Where were you yesterday, nya? I brought Daigoro-kun yesterday for you! Didn't you want to see him?", and the Seigaku tennis acrobat, who just came as well, bounced his way to the two and glomped the auburn head from behind. Fuji's smile momentarily fell, but he quickly plastered it back.

Seems like he doesn't like seeing Sakuno and Kikumaru together too.

The girl let out a surprised squeak and her chocolate brown eyes amplified in surprise. "Ah, K-Kikumaru-senpai! Ano.. gomenasai!", came her timid and startled reply. He noticed, if there's one thing Kikumaru and Sakuno have in common, it's their child-like personalities.

Kikumaru leaned away a bit, a cheeky grin forming on his lips, "Nya, don't mind! I brought him again today! But you'll have to make it up to me, ne?", then he glomped her again, tighter this time. And because of that, he missed the pointed look Tezuka sent him. Since Echizen left, Sakuno took his place and became the redhead's life-sized huggable bear.

Fuji certainly didn't like what he was seeing. Is it the National Glomping Day today or something? If it is, then he should have his turn to hug her too. And his smile widened a bit.

"M-Make it up to you? H-How?", Sakuno's doe brown orbs blinked in confusion, which only made the redhead want to squeeze her more. She's so much like his teddybears at home!

"Let's go to that newly-opened shop near the street tennis courts, nya!", Kikumaru started, and the brunette Tensai knew it's time for him to get his 'Tutor/Student' back. "The one we saw last week! They have a variety of stuffed toys and teddybears there! Oishi said he was busy so can you go there with me after school?", the half of the Golden pair rested his chin on her shoulder and sent her a 'kicked' puppy dog look, which is a lot more powerful than just a 'normal' puppy dog look. And Sakuno knew she can never refuse her Senpai with him looking like..-

"I'm sorry, Eiji. But I'm afraid Sakuno and I have a date later after school. Don't we, Sakuno?", Fuji interrupted, his smile as charming as ever and his voice smooth as he purposefully glided towards them. Tezuka subtly darted his brown eyes to him, of course, Fuji's casual use of Sakuno's name didn't escape his notice. While Kikumaru looked like someone just announced that Christmas got cancelled because someone killed Santa.

Sakuno's blood rushed to her face and she stammered in shock, "D-D-Date?!", which made Fuji chuckle warmly. He likes it when she blushes, especially if HE is the reason why her face reddens.

"Yes. Saa.. Have you forgotten? We have a date in my house."

House? Then Sakuno realized what he was talking about, "Date..- Oh." Of course, she should've already gotten used to the Tensai's teasing and strange kind of humor. Silly her, why would the Tensai even go to a 'real date' with her? "R-Right", she sent Kikumaru (who was still glued to her back) an apologetic gaze, "Eto.. F-Fuji-senpai and I have a baking and piano lesson today."

It's been a month since they made a deal. Sakuno will teach Fuji how to bake while Fuji will help her improve her piano-playing skills. The Tensai wanted to learn for his brother, so he asked the girl for help. They made progress, and now Sakuno can play a whole piece without getting confused while the brunette can bake raspberry pies.. with wasabi cream.

"So you can't come with me?", another 'kicked' puppy dog look that made Sakuno want to coo words of comfort. "Oi, Fujiko-chan, let me borrow her for a while, nya! No one wants to go with me, even Momo said that he can't come. Why are you all being so mean, nya?"

Fuji didn't know if he should feel pity, amusement or irritation. Tezuka, on the other hand, knew where this is going.

"D-Demo, I can go with you some other time, Kikumaru-senpai." Sakuno nodded her head in assurance. How come a boy can give a more effective puppy dog look than her? Life isn't fair.

"You promise, nya?"

"H-Hai!"

"Then it's a date!"

Fuji's blue eyes flashed open while Tezuka felt the vein on his forehead twitch.

"E-Eh?!"

"Just kidding, just kidding! I can never do that to Ochibi, he's the one meant for you, nya! I'm just your self-appointed body guard who will keep you safe from those unworthy boys until Ochibi comes back!", Kikumaru winked as he detached himself from her.

"Young love! Oh, the beauty of young love!", Momo sauntered to them with a goofy smile, his hands steadying his bicycle. "Ohayou, Tezuka-buchou, Fuji-senpai and Eiji-senpai. You too, Sakuno-chan!", and that's when the others realized that the number of students arriving are increasing.

"We should go." Tezuka started to stride away and the rest followed. Behind him, he can vaguely hear Kikumaru and Momo's oaths to never let any boy come close to her, Sakuno's incoherent stammering and Fuji's less-than-amused chuckles.

Another normal day at Seigaku.

"SAKUNOOOO!", a shrill voice boomed and made everyone turn. "QUICK! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY IN HYOTE-..", Tomoka froze as she realized that they were all staring at her and that she almost said it aloud. Oh no, she's dead.

"T-Tomo-chan!", Sakuno stuttered out, her complexion suddenly pale. She hastily gazed at the boys and bowed deeply, "Ano.. I-I'm going!", then she scampered away and pulled her friend by the wrist.

There was only one word that registered in Tezuka, Fuji, Momo and Kikumaru's minds: Hyotei. What was she doing in Hyotei?

...

Rikkai..

Seven regulars stepped out of the clubhouse, all of them already wearing their yellow and black Tennis uniforms, prepared for today's training. But obviously, there's someone missing.

"Where's Akaya?", asked the blue-haired Captain who was scanning the whole of the grounds with his ocean blue eyes. It was significantly more quiet. And although he'd like that, he knows something insane is bound to happen sooner or later. There's no such thing as peace and quiet in Rikkaidai.

The others told them that they have no idea either. But then, Yanagi, who was looking pensive since he arrived, spoke in inquiry, "Does Akaya..", everyone turned to look at him and he continued, "..have someone he likes? Is there something you know..", and he found it hard to utter the next words, "..that I don't know?"

His teammates would've snorted. Yanagi not knowing? That's unthinkable. Unfathomable. And the Bratling liking someone aside from Tennis and arcade? Utterly impossible. But then, something echoed in Sanada's mind and he snapped his head to Yanagi.

'We made a baby..'

Oh, Kami.

"Renji.."

"What is it, Genichirou?"

"..He said he made a baby."

Everyone fell silent, even Yukimura. But all of a sudden, manic laughter erupted and Marui bursted out, "How can he make a baby when he doesn't even know how to?!", and he placed a hand on Jackal's shoulder to steady himself. The Brazilian and the Trickster were finding it hard to control their laughter too. Yagyuu just pushed his glasses up but he, like them, found the notion ridiculous as well.

"But I thought you told him about it yesterday?", the Datamaster's eyes were once again revealed. This is NOT in his DATA and he's really getting frustrated.

"Well, we tried to. But he suddenly ran away like a sissy. We didn't even get to the actual process!He just..", Niou shook his head to stop himself from cackling, "..screamed!"

Yukimura looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "What exactly did you say to him?"

"That a boy and a girl starts it off by getting intimate, or foreplay.. like hugging. After that, he just got crazy."

Something's not right, the Buchou thought. Why would Kirihara react like that? Then he remembered something.

'Kirihara-senpai?! You saw him making-out?!'

And when he approached those first years and asked them, they said they were not sure and that one of them just saw Kirihara HUGGING a girl under a tree. A girl who didn't seem to be a student of Rikkaidai. But if he can remember correctly, Marui said that he found the boy under a tree yesterday and that he just overslept.

That's when everything clicked into place in Yukimura's mind.

"He didn't make a baby..", he murmured with a thoughtful expression, "He just THOUGHT he made a baby.." His conclusion got the others to shut their mouths and he added, "By hugging."

"Whoa, wait, he thought he made a baby by what?", Niou scoffed, "How stupid can he get?"

The capped Fukubuchou pinched the bridge of his nose, irked by the stupidity of the situation. The glucose-lover appeared like he was going to burst laughing again while his doubles partner sent him a look of warning. The Gentleman just sighed in slight exasperation. Why can't his teammates be like normal human beings? Why do they have to be so difficult? He is thoroughly puzzled.

"I am thoroughly puzzled..", Yagyuu said.

Comprehension lit Yanagi's face, "Oh, that must be the reason of his unexpected inquiry last night." When the Child of God gave him a look that says he wants further elaboration, he said, "He called me last night and asked me about a girl. That girl is possibly the one he thought he impregnated."

Niou sniggered as he flicked his rat-tail, "And who is this unfortunate girl he made a baby with?"

"Ryuzaki Sakuno of Seigaku."

And the snickers instantly died down. Sanada, Niou and Yagyuu simultaneously looked at him with various expressions and levels of surprise and disbelief. What the hell did he just say..?

Before they can even speak to ask for confirmation, Yanagi added, "And if it really is her, there's an 87.095% probability that he's on his way now to Seigaku. And if we don't go after him, Ryuzaki-sensei will definitely beat him to a pulp."

...

Usually, Kirihara would fall asleep while riding a bus. But today, he can get himself to even take a nap. That's how nervous he is. He'd been mentally practicing what he'll say once he sees her, calming himself and chanting that he can do it.

He didn't know being a father will be this nerve-wracking. So the boy decided, that she will be the only one he will make a baby with. Hmm.. So, does that mean he'll have to marry her? Damn it, he's confused.

...

Hyotei..

Gakuto eyed the silver-haired lad intently as he sat on a bench. He can't help but notice that the said boy had been pacing around anxiously, thinking to himself. After a few seconds, Ootori would look up with a face that seems to say 'Eureka!', but he'd quickly change his expression, like what he thought was a flop, then he's back to pacing again. It's like watching a Tennis match with the boy as the ball.

Finally, the red-haired senior can hold it no longer and he turned to Shishido who was sitting beside him (he would've talked to Oshitari who was standing not far from them but the bespectacled boy is currently having a conversation on the phone with his cousin). "What's with him?", then he gestured towards Ootori's general direction. "It's like he's nervous or something. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume he has a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend? Are you joking?", Shishido adjusted his newly-bought cap, "He can't even talk about love without going all red in the face. Try asking him about it and he'll get fidgety. He's impossible."

Gakuto opened his mouth to respond but then Atobe came to them with a grave aura. So the redhead knitted his brows and spoke, "Oi, Atobe, what's the problem this time?", while Shishido emitted a sound of annoyance. Why did Gakuto even had to ask?

"It's Beat..", the Diva replied with a theatrical, heavy sigh, "The doctor said that he has once again fallen into depression and Ore-sama is worried. Ore-sama should've just brought him here again."

"And I am glad you didn't!", the capped Dash specialist crowed.

Atobe narrowed his grey eyes at him. "No one cares about your needs, Shishido. Ore-sama is more concerned with what he can do to alleviate Beat's agony." The other lad hotly glared at him but he just ignored it and folded his arms. Now, what can he do? "Kabaji, any suggestions?"

"Usu?", the Gentle giant tried.

"He's gone mental..", Gakuto mouthed and Shishido nodded in agreement. They both jumped to their feet and decided that running laps is more worthy of their time than hearing about the arrogant boy's dog crisis. Oshitari, who overheard what they were talking about, decided to leave as well.

"That's brilliant, Kabaji!", the Hyotei Buchou praised his friend, "Absolutely brilliant. Beat was happy yesterday.. and it's because of that girl! She can help Beat!"

"Usu."

"Splendid idea." Atobe made a grandiose motion towards Kabaji, "She made a promise, didn't she? So she shall fulfill it." He paused for effect, then smirked haughtily, "Prepare, Kabaji. We will pay Seigaku a visit."

While Ootori, who was still pacing back and forth, kept uttering about "Ribbon.." and "How can I give it back..?"

...

Shitenhouji..

"Your captain's obsessing over a dog?", Kenya inserted a hand into his pocket as he sniggered, "What a looney."

"Look who's talking. Your captain's in love with beetles. He's no better."

"Oi, he never tells us to be awed by his prowess!", the Speedstar retorted fiercely.

"Yes. He just openly exclaims about ECSTACY. I'm surprised no one has accused him yet of being a drug-dealer." The bluenette sounded so cool and collected, it grated on his nerves.

"I hate you."

"You do? But I heard you missed me."

"W-What? Where did you hear that kind of false rumor?"

"For your information, we do have our own Dataman. His name's Taki Haginosuke, not that popular but his sources are reliable." Then Kenya heard a chuckle from the other line, that he suddenly felt the urge to smack the Hyotei Tensai with a newspaper. "You must be so miserable without me."

"Oh, yeah." Kenya sarcastically muttered, "I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here."

"Very funny. How long did you come up with that? Must've took you all night. But I actually feel the same. When I'm lonely, I just think of you. Then I'm content to be alone again."

"I'd rather throw a puppy to a wood chipper than talk to you anymore." Yuushi chuckled again and Kenya fumed, "Good riddance!", and he ended the call. That effin' bastard!

"Dorks..", Zaizen commented with a smirk. "You guys miss each other but everytime you talk, you bicker like girls. And most of the time, he outsmarts you. You fail in life, Senpai."

Kenya's patience (and sanity) snapped.

"YOU BRAT!"

"KENYA, OOOOOOOI! DON'T! HE'S JUST A KID!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

...

Seigaku..

Sakuno sneezed again as she made her way to her locker. It's been an hour now since the morning practice ended. The school bell rang, marking the end of the first period and she'll be late for the next one if she doesn't get her book fast. Hurriedly, she unlocked it and made a move to reach for her Japanese history book when something caught her eye. Her hand, instead of grabbing the book, took the envelope that seemed out of place there. It's not hers, so someone must've slipped it through the small gap on her locker.

Wondering who could've left it there for her, she opened it and peered inside. And boy, was she surprised to see a couple of small tablets for flu and a little note saying: 'Get well.'

Her chocolate brown orbs swiftly roamed around, searching for someone.. anyone.. who could've given it to her but there was no one there aside from her.

...

Tezuka returned to his seat just in time for second period. It's a good thing that the school nurse quickly gave him what he asked for. He can finally focus his attention on the lesson now that his worries are gone.

...

Kirihara took a very, very deep breath. This is it. It's now or never. So he stepped forward and into the gates of Seishun Gakuen to find the mother of his baby. Unbeknownst to him, hell will break loose on this fated day.

…

TBC

...

Sneak peek for a future chapter:

Yukimura's blue gaze became intense as he got closer to her, his finely-chiseled lips twisted into a mystic smile. Sakuno instinctively stepped back, uncertainty showing in her chocolate brown orbs. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt cold fear slither into her. How can someone who looked so immaculate and beautifully handsome instill that kind of heart-stopping fear?

The auburn-haired girl felt the wall behind her and she knew she has no way to escape. Seeing her predicament, the Rikkai captain chuckled. Then he tilted his head innocently and spoke in his usual pleasant tone, "You were not supposed to know about that, Ryuzaki-san." His ethereal smile widened, "And because of that..", his voice sounded almost like a whisper, "I'll have to silence you."

...

**A/N: Thank you for bearing with me and for the continuous support for this unworthy story. Haha. What's the verdict for this chapter? Is it okay? Please do leave a review, guys! It's like my energy pills. The more reviews, the more I get inspired. And if you have suggestions or requests, feel free to tell me.**

**Short, huh? I'm sorry, but it's kinda the prologue for the next chain of events. And I'm sorta busy, school's being a hassle and the exams are draining me. There will be different stories for different boys. Sort of. I bet you guys now have a hint of who Tezuka is in Sakuno's life. If you don't, read it again. I'm sure someone mentioned it. Yes, someone did. And about Yukimura.. Teehee. What do you guys think?**

**Here's the current poll:**

**Yukimura Seiichi- 16%**

**Fuji Syuusuke- 14%**

**Tezuka Kunimitsu- 13%**

**Sanada Genichirou- 9%**

**Shiraishi Kuranosuke- 9%**

**Kirihara Akaya- 7%**

**Niou Masaharu- 7%**

**Atobe Keigo- 6%**

**Oshitari Yuushi- 4%**

**Marui Bunta- 4%**

**Kikumaru Eiji- 3%**

**Shishido Ryou- 3%**

**Tooyama Kintarou- 1%**

**Don't forget to vote! RnR!**


	5. Kirihara's series of unfortunate events

Chapter Five:

Kirihara's series of unfortunate events (Part 1)

...

**When I was in middle school, I realized a lot of things. People are not always who they seem to be. The ones I thought cold were really warm and kind when you get to know them. And the person I thought to be cruel and vicious.. was really just as naive as I was. The arrogant people have soft spots and the guys who don't appear to care.. really do care. **

...

Hyotei..

_'The girl looked beautiful in the moonlight. In the faint silvery light, she was like a young pagan goddess offering a sacrifice to the high peaks. Her skin was soft-looking, gleaming at him with an invitation to touch.' _

Oshitari's sensual lips took on a lazy smirk as he continued to read the book in his hand, unmindful of the fact that there's a class going on. The teacher, in his opinion, is a twat and needs more schooling than him. The bluenette can recite every single name there is in that japanese history book on top of the male educator's desk, even their biographies and accomplishments. Of course he can, he's a genius. And because he deemed that there's no reason for him to listen to the teacher babble, he just focused his attention on his romance book.

It was way more fascinating and it got him hooked. He just loves a well-written romance book. It stirs up something in him. A want, maybe, to feel and experience that wondrous thing called love. Reading romance novels makes him believe, as strange as it may sound, that someday he'll feel what the characters feel, the burning desire and unyielding passion.

_'Her sweet innocence shook him, yet it drew him to her like a magnet.'_

It may be puzzling for others to know that him, Oshitari Yuushi, a man known to lock his heart and wear poker faces, would want something like that. But well, he just can't help it. He's a hopeless romantic. Romance novels strengthen his faith in destiny and love. Someday, he will have his own happy ending, just like the protagonists in the books. He will find his own leading lady and they will create their own love story.

_'She was his. Made for him. Exclusively for him.' _

His lazy smirk turned into a light smile. It will be nice to have someone he can call 'his', to have someone he can cherish and protect, someone he can dote on, show his true self to.. and unlock his heart for.

_'Only her could rid him of the dark shadows in his soul, the only one who could undo the lock in his heart.'_

The bluenette halted his eyes and blinked with mild surprise. Slowly, he arched a curious brow and re-read the last line.

_'..undo the lock in his heart.'_

Sometimes, it's just amazing how the words in a simple book can coincide with the reader's thoughts, and how the reader can relate to such stories. That's why he hates it whenever Gakuto or the others say that such kind of romance can never be real and that it's completely preposterous. For their information, romance books can be very real.

'A girl did fall from the heavens.. and into my arms. A girl with nice legs at that, Gakuto.'

The image of him carrying a girl with a pair of long, auburn braids and warm, chocolate brown orbs flashed in his mind. She was light as a feather and felt so right in his arms. That exact moment was much like a scene from a book he'd read before. And when he finally got a good look at her, he was enthralled. Oh, if only Gakuto didn't butt in, he would've held her longer.

_'She was so beautiful, she robbed him of breath.' _

Has he found himself a leading lady?

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his aristocratic nose, the Hyotei Tensai gazed at the words on the book with a thoughtful expression, his smile once again changing into his trademark smirk.

_'He knew it was dangerous, but he found it hard not to lose himself in her sweetness. Little flames licked every nerve ending in his body as he watched her just stand there under the pale moon. She is his and only his. She belongs to him. So he stepped towards her, eyes determined. He will risk everything now, after all.. it was fate that brought them together.'_

Ryuzaki Sakuno, eh?

He'd like to meet her again.

...

Taki, who had his glazed eyes glued to the floor, was walking back to his Math class with a classmate when a tall figure came his way and stopped in front of him. So he broke stride to avoid collision and looked up, only to see that it was none other than his Kouhai, Ootori. And he slightly frowned. Life is really unfair, isn't it? He had to look up just to see the face of a person who is a year younger than him. Damn his height and those TV ads about milk saying they'd help him grow taller. Some people (like Ootori) just have all the luck. But then he noticed that the silver-haired Sophomore was staring at him intently.

"Uh, you need something?", he asked tentatively. His black-haired classmate blinked and turned to gaze at Ootori too. Then he noticed the height difference of the two Tennis players and had to stifle a snigger. Taki elbowed him.

"H-Hai, Senpai." Scratching the back of his head, the younger lad smiled awkwardly. He has no idea though on how to say what he wants to say. He didn't want his Senpai to get him wrong! He just.. wanted to give the ribbon back. But going to Seigaku seemed like a bad idea. What if other Tennis players see him? What will he say? "Ano.. I just.. Well, this is..- It's just.. I'm.. Ano.. Ah, Taki-Senpai..-"

The Hyotei Dataman raised a brow, but afterwards sighed tiredly, "You know, I get it. People only remember me when they need something. And most of the time, it's data. That's what you came here for, am I right? For data?", his mind went to an encounter he had this morning with a teammate who asked him for someone's data, albeit rudely. It kinda puzzled him though as to why that particular person would ask him for that. "So just get on with it, I'll be late for Math." He briefly glanced at his silver wristwatch, worried about the time.

Taki didn't really sound aggravated or anything, actually it seemed like he's already used to the idea of people only remembering him when they need him. He spoke of it so casually that it took Ootori aback. And being the kind-hearted young lad that he is, his mind went overdrive and he felt sympathy instantly for his Senpai.

Does his Senpai think that he's not that important because he's just a Dataman? What? No one should be subjected to that kind of thought! He didn't know that's how his Senpai really felt. But he understands him. They forgot about him when they went on a trip to Okinawa. And Osaka. And Nara. And a lot of other places, even on their trips overseas. Come to think of it, they always do seem to forget about him. What kind of a Kouhai is he to not notice about that? Taki must've felt so bad to be the one always forgotten about. He must've been so lonely.

And he felt guiltier because what Taki said was true. He came to see the Dataman because he needs something from him. His cheeks burned and he gulped anxiously. Right, stop beating around the bush. If he's going to ask for a favor, he wouldn't want his Senpai to be late because of him and burden him more, now can he? Mou.

"W-Well.."

"Whose data do you want?", inquired Taki as his classmate pointed to the door of their room.

"Umm.. Ano..", anxiously playing with the end of his brown tie, he muttered quietly with a hint of a blush, "R-Ryuzaki Sakuno of Seigaku."

As soon as Ootori said the girl's name, Taki snapped his head up with wide eyes, his short light-brown hair flying. And once again, he looked thoughtful before answering, "I have her Data right here." His answer made the silver-haired lad lit up in delight and relief, which made the Dataman more curious. He unzipped his black bag, then his left hand went inside it and moments later, he pulled out a brown envelope. Then he opened it and took a single paper. "This is her basic info but..", he handed it to the eager Sophomore, "What do you need it for?"

The slight blush on the the boy's face turned into crimson red and he stuttered out, "N-Nothing! I-I just.. Ano..", and because he was taught by his parents that lying is wrong, he replied, "I-I just had to return something to her! That's all, I swear!", he nodded his head vigorously, as if he was also making himself believe that statement. But to Taki, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Why's he so defensive? But before he can ask further, the boy bowed hastily and said, "Thank you, Senpai!", which is an indirect way to end their conversation.

"..Don't mention it."

Ootori wanted to leave immediately, to escape Taki's curious orbs so he swiftly whirled around to go when his conscience pricked him. His kind nature just won't let him leave. Halting abruptly, he looked over his shoulder with the usual soft expression in his brown orbs, "B-By the way, Taki-senpai..", the two Seniors who were about to leave too turned to him, "E-Every club needs a Dataman. Without you, Hyotei will be at a disadvantage. If Rikkai has Yanagi and Seigaku has Inui, we have you. So.. you're important to us. Not only as a teammate but also as a friend. Ja matta." Then he left with a lighter chest. If ever they have an outing again, he'll inform Taki and bring him along. That will surely make his Senpai happy!

Taki's wide orbs followed him, but afterwards, he genuinely smiled. Ootori's just too nice for his own good. Sometimes, it really surprises him, seeing how selfless and considerate the boy is. He even offered his own regular's spot to Shishido before. How unbelievable. It's kinda rare to see such a down-to-earth rich kid in Hyotei.

"That Ootori's a really good guy, huh?", noted his classmate as they started to stroll away. "Is he always like that?"

"Yeah, pretty much. He'd suddenly give some encouraging speech at the times you least expect him to. But he's okay in my book, that kid's really nice."

"But I didn't know he had his eyes set on someone.."

"I didn't too. And I'm supposed to be the Dataman." Placing a finger on his chin, he uttered in contemplation, "That was strange. He's the second one today to ask me for that girl's info. That's why I had her data in my bag."

"Wait, really? Who's the other one?"

Taki paused for a while, then shrugged. "Gakuto. He even took my only copy of her photo, that lunatic."

"So you mean, they're both interested with the same girl? But didn't he say she's from Seigaku?"

"Yeah. She's the granddaughter of Seigaku's Tennis coach."

"Isn't that betrayal? She's from our rival school!"

"Tennis and Girls are two different things. And besides, based on what I've gathered about her, she's really kind. She's like.. Ootori's girl version."

"His girl version? Well, that explains it. Wow, she caught the attention of two of the Hyotei regulars? The fangirls will kill her."

The Hyotei Dataman just shook his head. Yes, the fangirls will probably do that if ever they find out. Attracting two of his teammates is quite a feat. He wondered what made the two take interest in her. Looks like he'll have to investigate this one. And he knows just the right guys to start the investigation with.. his fellow Datamen.

...

Seigaku..

Finally, it's lunchbreak! Bringing her Bentou with her, Sakuno stood in line to buy a juice. She's not really hungry, but she has to eat in order to take the medicines the mystery stranger left in her locker. Whoever he/she is, Sakuno thanks him/her from the bottom of her heart. It's really thoughtful. But right now, she just feels so tired. Maybe she's coming down with a flu. Ugh, no. She doesn't want to make her friends worry, especially Obaa-chan. Tomo-chan's going to nag, that's for sure. Oh, wait..

Ever since the lunch bell rang, Tomoka disappeared. Where had she gone off to? Her chocolate brown orbs roamed around the sea of students but her pig-tailed friend is nowhere to be found. Various kinds of noise filled the entire canteen as students continued to enter the said place. The auburn head sniffled and she made a move to fish the handkerchief Tezuka gave her out of her pocket, but when she was just about to raise it, someone bumped into her and she lost hold of it. Luckily, it just landed a few feet away from her.

She quickly stepped towards it and moved to pick it up when from the corner of her brown eyes, she caught sight of three pairs of legs walking and taking her place in the line. She straightened up as soon as she had the handkerchief in her hands and went back. There, she saw three girls, who were obviously older than her, whispering to each other with mirth. "A-Ano.. Excuse me..", she shyly said.

"What?", one of the girls faced her with an irritated expression, irked that someone interrupted their chitchat.

Oh, how the auburn head wished Tomoka's there with her. That friend of hers is better than Sakuno at these kind of situations. Fiddling with the fabric of the handkerchief, she spoke in her usual soft tone, "Ah, I-I was standing on that spot and I just.. left to pick up my handker-.."

"Well, too bad. You LEFT so why don't you just go back to the end of the line right over..", another girl smirked at her and pointed at the area where the line seemed to end, which was really far, "..there. Okay? Now be a good girl and scram."

"But I was..-"

"Didn't you hear us? Get lost. Younger girls nowadays are so rude, na?"

"Demo..-"

"You're annoying. One more word and I'll..-"

"FFSHUUUU.."

And behind the older girls was a familiar face that made Sakuno smile in relief. They turned and was scared out of their wits when Kaidou Kaoru gave them an ominous glare. He didn't even had to say anything to scare them, his foreboding aura was enough. Whimpering in fear, they scampered away. Kaidou Kaoru is not a guy to mess with. He'll eat them alive.

Sakuno gazed at their retreating figures and didn't know if she should feel pity or annoyance. Why are there people who take too much advantage of their seniority? When she becomes a senior, she'll never do that to her Kouhai.

"Ffshuu, you can go back to your spot now." Her Senpai's gruff voice snapped her from her thoughts. Oh right. Walking to him, she bowed gratefully and sweetly smiled. The bandana-wearing lad simply nodded to her before looking away.

It may be surprising to a lot that she smiled at him and didn't even seem the least afraid. Well, she has always known that Kaidou is a nice person. She realized it ever since she saw him on that particular rainy day near their house. Even without really talking about it, they mutually agreed to keep it as a secret, Sakuno knows her Senpai has a reputation to protect. From that day on, she saw the so-called Viper in a new light. Her initial discomfort around him faded and everytime she looks at him, the memory of that day always comes to her.

Her Obaa-chan was right. There's always some kind of goodness in everyone's hearts, no matter who they are. She just has to learn how to look closely. Kaidou might leave the people around him a bad impression, but in all actuality, he's a very kind guy.

When Sakuno darted her gaze to the front, she missed the slight hue of pink on the older lad's face.

...

Kirihara's blue-green Rikkai school uniform stood out amongst the Seigaku crowd. He's currently on the school grounds of Seigaku, searching for a certain auburn-haired girl when the lunchbell rang and the students began appearing everywhere, confusing him. Kuso, this is harder than he thought.

"Wait, isn't that Kirihara Akaya? Kyaaa!"

He'd admit that Seigaku is big, and has a nice atmosphere. The buildings looked okay and well, there are a lot of trees there too just like in Rikkaidai. But it's kinda average for his taste and lacks that air of superiority that his school has. Rikkai is more awesome, he decided. Oh, and his uniform pwns their Seigaku uniform. Hell yeah.

"Yeah, that's the Rikkai ace.."

But because the darn school is pretty big, it's hard for him to find the girl! He searched and searched and searched for her but dang, she's nowhere in sight. He even tried to check on a few classrooms but every single time he did, the girls would start giggling and point at him, the boys would look irritated and the teachers would tell him that if he has no official business in the room, then get the hell out (That's not how the teachers exactly said it but in Kirihara's mind, he's been badly oppressed. Poor him).

And not only that, but every minute, a girl with twin braids would suddenly pop up near him and he'll give chase, only to find out that it's not the cute girl he saw yesterday. Damn it, where is she?! This school's so overpopulated, how will he find her?! Tsk, he should have just asked Yanagi about her address. It would've been easier.

"He's so cute!"

"No, he's not! He's a demon! He harmed our Fuji-sama!"

Ignoring the weirded stares and not-so-quiet whispers, his forest green orbs roamed until he caught sight of a small girl with twin braids and he grinned. It's her! Running to the said girl, he thought of how to explain everything to her.

'I'm sorry for getting you pregnant. I didn't mean to! I had no idea that's how it works! I'm really, really, really sorry, but I'll be a good father, I promise!'

Yosh, he's ready! So he reached for her, held her by the shoulders and turned her around.. only to realize that he's wrong again. This girl has black eyes!

"Let go of me, pervert!"

The seaweed head instantly released her while apologizing with a bratty pout. Yuck. Him, a pervert? Just yuck. The mother of his baby is way more cute!

"What's he doing?"

"Probably trying to terrorize our school! What a scum!"

Oh, crap. Where to find her-.. once again, he spotted a girl with twin braids and he dashed. Matte, there's another one over there too beside that tree! And there on the right! And there!

Damn, this will be a loooong day.

...

After purchasing a strawberry juice, the auburn-haired girl stood at the aisle, looking for a vacant seat when she noticed Kaidou walking away with his food. He went straight to a table occupied by only two second-year girls. But when he sat at the other end, the girls exchanged startled glances then stood to leave with fearful eyes. Her Senpai didn't seem affected though and just started his routine of praying before eating, not minding the strange looks the other students were giving him.

He's going to sit alone again, Sakuno thought. Isn't it lonely to eat alone, especially in a place full of people? Kaidou's not a bad person, why do they keep on avoiding him? She can't understand it. Her Senpai is very nice! He might be quiet and scary at first, but that's just how he is.

Oh well, she can't just let her Senpai eat by himself, ne?

The auburn-haired girl heaved a deep breath as she walked to the Sophomore's table and politely said in query, "E-Eto.. Senpai, can I sit here?"

Issuing her a surprised look, Kaidou nodded.

Sakuno smiled at him as she took a seat. Opening her Bentou box (which reminded her of her Bentou box that she lost in Rikkai), her smile widened at the sight of her Onigiri's. "Ah, K-Kaidou-senpai, would you like one?", she offered, even though she knew already what his answer will be. Of course, he won't be able to resist the cuteness of her Onigiri, no.. not when they're shaped like a Himalayan cat's head.

...

Kawamura was walking into a building, on his way to the faculty room, carrying a pile of hard-bound books his teacher asked him to bring when he suddenly heard high-pitched yells that were definitely from females with really strong lungs.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

"Oi, you MANIAC!"

And a distinct high-pitched shout that sounded like.. a guy. A guy in so much pain.

"Ouch! The hell are you-.. Oi, wait, don't throw-.. AH, DAMMIT!"

Somehow, that voice seemed familiar to him. But who exactly was that? Nah, can't remember. Oh well, he shouldn't poke around other people's business. Besides, it was painfully obvious that those girls can protect themselves. He chuckled sheepishly to himself.. girls nowadays are fierce. Good for them, that's women empowerment. But sometimes, they scare him though.

...

Hyotei..

Inside his classroom, Gakuto grinned goofily as he stared at the photo of a girl with auburn braids. Yaaa, she's so cute! And she's blushing in the picture too! Wow, her cheeks are just too adorable! She's like a doll! Feeling giddy, he placed it in his breast pocket and smiled. Now she will always be near his heart. Wait, that's cheesy. But what the heck, who cares? He has a picture of her now! He's so lucky, and he has Taki to thank for that. But the Dataman must be pissed because he just snatched the photo from him. Hmm.. he'll just treat him to some ice cream later.

Sakuno is her name, ne? It suits her! They might've met in an awkward way that resulted to him seeing something he shouldn't have seen but it didn't matter. What's more important is the fact that he has information about her now and he'll be able to think of a way to see her again.

Having a crush on someone is troublesome, but she's worth it. What will he say if he sees her again?

'Hi, I just came by to-..'

Oh darn, he felt his face heat up. Psh, he just hoped he won't be a stuttering wreck once that time comes. And he should control himself and stop from blushing so much! Maybe he'd show her some acrobatic moves to make an impression? Oh yeah, she'll like that! The redhead nodded approvingly, she will be awe-struck! He bet she hadn't seen anyone jump as high as him, not even Kikumaru! That human cat's no match for him!

He suddenly wondered, are Kikumaru and Sakuno close? Does that nya-ing creature glomp her too? And as he imagined his rival hugging his adorable crush, his face became as red as his hair again and he fumed. Oh, he better stay away from her or else!

...

Rikkai..

Niou sat near the rooftop door and leaned his back against the wall, his coat carelessly threwn over his shoulder. Above him, the sky was clear and the sun shone oh-so-brightly, making his silver hair look a bit yellowish. He has a can of coke in his left hand (it's his third can even though he hadn't eaten lunch yet. He knows drinking too much softdrinks would probably kill him by the time he's 25, but he doesn't care though) while his right hand kept on flipping open his phone, then close, then open, restlessly. Finally, after realizing that he might break it, just stuffed it back into his pocket with a bored look plastered on his face.

Sanada's such a killjoy. He wanted to go to Seigaku too and see what will happen once Kirihara drops the bomb on them. It would've been fun to see the Dragon coach toast the bratling.

But his darn Fukubuchou just had to deny him his entertainment and gave him a stern order to stay inside the walls of Rikkaidai, saying he doesn't need another troublemaker there. Aitsu, one of these days, he'd shove a lamp up the Emperor's ass so he'll lighten up.

The Trickster would've sneaked out but then Yukimura's pleasant voice stopped him in his tracks. Damn. For sure, Sanada, Yagyuu, Jackal and Yanagi (the group which he shall name the 'Jimmies Brigade') are now aboard the bus to Seishun. They will have all the fun (or not, they're like.. boring. A bunch of OVERPOLISHED goody two-shoes, especially Jackal. He shines the most, literally) and he's stuck in Rikkai. They're so unfair. And because of that, Sanada shall be prepared for his vengeance later. He should probably start weeping for his family rock.

More often than not, that Brat's innocence borders on stupidity. Everyone is entitled to be stupid but he abuses the privilege. He's just too gullible.. and it makes him an easy target for pranks. That's why oftentimes, Niou and Marui would team up to make fun of him. Jackal would try to stop them, Yagyuu would just wearily sigh and so on. But not because they like teasing him does it mean that they don't care for that seaweed head. Just like Yukimura, they have a certain fondness for their naive Kouhai too. And what better way to show it than play tricks on him like how older brothers would? Puri.

Naivety, eh? He was suddenly reminded of the kitten he met yesterday. She's just as naive as the Brat, which makes her an easy target as well. And it's downright humorous that Kirihara thought he got her pregnant with a simple hug. Quirking a brow, Niou repeated that thought in his head. Simple hug? So they hugged? Bratling hugged her?

Now more than ever, he wanted to see Kirihara get his ass whipped by the Seigaku coach. Yeah, it'd be really awesome to see him get skewered alive, then chopped into bite-sized pieces of seaweed. It's a pity he won't be there to witness that. Whoa, Yukimura's sadism is rubbing off on him. What's with him?

He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe because of the heat. Niou never liked feeling the scorching heat of the sun on his skin. Standing up from his position, he fished out his phone again and strolled to the door. Clicking on a photo he'd seen countless of times before, his steel blue eyes gazed at it for a sec before flipping the phone close again. So what that Kirihara's made a move on her? She's too innocent anyway. He's not that interested with her, he prefers girls who are as cunning and strategic as him, not some clumsy klutz. Yes, he took a picture of her but that's it. He's not annoyed because he likes her or anything like that. That girl and the Brat compliment each other. And he doesn't effin' care.

There was no reason for him to care. But somehow.. he felt bothered.

...

Marui's pink orbs widened with glee as the girls in the cafeteria started crowding around him with lots of cakes and Bentou boxes that contained Onigiri's. Anticipation filled him and he licked his lower lip. This will be good!

This is exactly the reason why he didn't go to Seigaku with his teammates. He has an important appointment to attend to. Yes, he's worried for Kirihara but Sanada can handle it. And besides, Yanagi, Yagyuu and Jackal are there too. They were quite surprised when he said he won't go.

_"Why? I thought you said Kirihara-kun needs our help..", the Gentleman knitted his brows a bit. Oftentimes, Marui's one of the people who'd immediately come to their Brat's aid when the situation demands it. This is odd. Way odd._

_"Yep. And someone will help him." Marui jerked his thumb to his doubles partner's direction, "Jackal will."_

_"WHY ME?! I have a test to-.."_

_"Because you're his babysitter. He's your responsibility. And if only you didn't let him out of your sight, he wouldn't have had gotten a girl PREGNANT." Marui fought down his snicker and gave Jackal a feigned look of dismay. _

_Niou valiantly volunteered, "I can go in his place." But everyone pretended they didn't hear him._

_"I'll go, and there's a 97.03% chance that Yagyuu will come too, because he's one of the few Rikkai regulars the Seigaku people believe to be sane. And so will Genichirou, because that's what Seiichi would want him to do."_

_Sanada glanced at him, "I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"_

_"No, you didn't..", Yukimura said in his usually pleasant voice, sending his Fukubuchou a SEEMINGLY angelic smile, his hands innocently placed behind him._

_"I can't understand why I should go.. I have a test today..", the Brazilian miserably uttered._

_"I said I can go in his place!"_

_"I'm already visualizing the masking tape over your mouth, Niou-kun."_

_"You guys are no fun. One day, you will all end up like Sanada if you keep living like that!"_

_"Tarundoru!"_

_And that's how the four were selected to go. The Glucose-lover would've gone with them but he can't just disappoint his fangirls. And the cakes and Onigiri's. Nope, he can't afford to postpone this very important appointment indeed._

Now back to the current situation. Marui gave the Bentou boxes a quick scan and his smile momentarily fell when he realized that none of them was the same as the Bentou box he found yesterday. But of course, he's gotta show his appreciation so once again, he smiled gratefully and thanked them.

Those Onigiri's he found were utterly delicious and he was hoping to have a taste of them again, that's why he dragged Jackal with him yesterday to look for a shop that sells Onigiri's. The self-proclaimed Genius suddenly had a craving for them. But unfortunately, none of the Onigiri's he bought could compare. That was also the reason why he asked his fangirls to bring him Onigiri's today, hoping that maybe they could satisfy his tastebuds. Or better.. maybe one of them is the owner of the Bentou box. Dou, he's such a genius!

He wished that whoever made those onigiri's is one of his fangirls. Yep, a girl. The Bentou box was pink with white swirls on the side and he didn't need Yanagi to tell him that there's a big possibility that its owner is a girl.

It's a downer that none of the boxes in front of him matched the pink Bentou box. But.. maybe she just used a different box today? Oh well, he'll just have to taste every single Onigiri the girls brought for him until he finds one that tastes the same as those special Onigiri's. He can't seem to forget the way it felt in his mouth, and how it made his buds tingle. It was really plain yet when he got a taste of them, he could tell that whoever made them was in love with what she was doing. Of course, his affinity to cakes will never be gone. He's just merely curious and there's nothing bad with wanting to know who was the one who created those Onigiri's, na? And besides, if he finds her, then he'll be able to return the box he took without permission.

And as Marui began on munching, he internally proclaimed that he shall now start the search for the owner of those special Onigiri's! Hmm.. He suddenly wondered, what's happening to Bakaya in Seigaku? Did he already find that girl he said he 'impregnated'? Oh well.

...

Seigaku..

Fuji was just about to finish his food when his cerulean blue orbs suddenly flashed. Strange. Tilting his head to the side, he briefly contemplated on what could be the reason for the sudden sense of satisfaction he felt, but nothing came to mind. So he just shrugged it off and hummed contentedly. Such a nice day.

...

Kirihara gingerly massaged his right cheek, the sting from the slap he got still there. What the freak's wrong with these people?! He's not a friggin' pervert! In Rikkaidai, the girls there would be ecstatic to have a chance to converse with him! He just wanted to find that Ryuzaki gal, what's so wrong with that?!

Hopeless and hungry, he trudged his way to a tree when something appeared in his peripheral vision. Braids. A girl with braids! The seaweed-haired boy perked and snapped his head to the side. Surely, that must be her!

So, without wasting another moment, he jogged towards the twelfth girl.. who was on her way to the clubhouse of the girl's Soccer club to change into her Soccer uniform.

...

Oishi was on the third floor of the school main building, looking for his doubles partner when he caught sight of something on the window and blinked several times in shock. Squinting his eyes, he tried to focus his gaze on the figure that was crossing the grounds in a record-breaking speed. After a few second of stillness, the Fukubuchou straightened up and scratched his temple with a disbelieving expression.

"I-I think I just saw Kirihara-san being chased by girls with Soccer balls. But that's just.. impossible." He shook his head slightly and chuckled, "It must be my imagination getting wild again. Where's Eiji, by the way?"

...

"SAKUNO-CHAN!"

The auburn head cringed at the loud volume of her bestfriend's voice that reverberated all throughout the canteen and made a lot of students swiftly turn their heads to the entrance of the said place. But before Sakuno can even whirl around, she felt the air got knocked out of her chest as a pair of arms engulfed her in a tight hug from behind and another voice happily chirped, "Nya, Sakuno-chan, you're here!"

"Hey, Eiji-senpai! You'll suffocate her!", that was definitely Momo.

"K-Kikumaru-senpai..", and that sounded like Kachirou.

"Gomen, gomen!", Kikumaru loosened his hold on the girl and peered at her face with a boyish smile. "Sakuno-chan!"

Trying to regain her breath, Sakuno smiled at him and meekly nodded, "K-Kikumaru-senpai..", then she turned her head to look at the others who just arrived: Momo, Tomoka, Horio, Kachirou and Katsuo. They moved towards their table and greeted her too.

"Oh, you're eating with Mamushi?", Momo noticed his fellow second year who was trying to ignore their noise and eat in peace. "Poor Ryuzaki-chan."

"What are you trying to say, TEME?!", Kaidou gave him a lethal glare as he slammed his chopsticks to the table, making the Ichinen trio squirm uncomfortably.

"What do you think?!"

"Are you picking a fight?!", and then began the usual banter.

Sakuno would've stopped them but then Tomoka pulled her away. The only third year, Kikumaru, went to his teammates and tried to stop them from strangling each other. When everyone's attention was on the two squabbling lads, the pig-tailed girl whispered hurriedly, "Sakuno.. sorry for leaving earlier. But you see, Momo-chan-senpai just suddenly cornered me and well.. he asked me about what happened to you yesterday. And that bruise on your chin only made it worse!" At that, the auburn head gave her an alarmed look but her friend reassured her, "Don't worry, I didn't tell them a thing!"

Releasing a sigh of relief, the auburn head shifted her gaze back to her Senpai-tachi. They were asking about her?

"They were worried, you know..", Tomoka murmured quietly, a grin forming on her lips.

Her Senpai-tachi were worried for her?

"You bastard! I'd slap you but that would be animal abuse, MA-MU-SHI!"

"Ffshuu, you prickhead! I've met some pricks in my time but you're the damn CACTUS!

"You-.. Wait, whaddya say?! How dare-.."

"Momo! Kaidou! Knock it off, nya!"

A sincere smile curled on the young auburn-haired girl's lips. They're always like that. Threatening each other, getting all in each other's faces.. But after spending almost a year with them, she knew they won't reach the point of actually killing each other. Everything will be fine. They might act hard and tough but in reality, all of her Senpai-tachi are caring people.

But if they don't stop soon, Tezuka will definitely get wind of this and they'll be punished for causing a scene. Sakuno moved to help Kikumaru calm them down, but then she saw the half-eaten Onigiri in Kaidou's box.. and she can't help but smile again.

Tired of playing the role of the responsible Senpai, Kikumaru placed his hands on his hips, "You wouldn't stop, nya? Fine!", a deep breath then, "THE VIPER VERSUS THE PORCUPINE! PLACE YOUR BETS, MINNA!"

"Kikumaru/Eiji-senpai!"

...

Panting for breath, Kirihara hid behind a tree and placed his hands on his knees. OH, GODDAMMIT, WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?! THAT WAS DAMN CLOSE! TOO DAMN CLOSE! THEY COULD'VE KILLED HIM WITH THOSE FREAKING SOCCER BALLS! HE'S NOT A DAMN MANIAC! Okay, calm down.. calm down. This will all be over soon. He just has to find the girl and everything will be okay. BUT HOW THE HECK-.. Calm down.. just calm down. It wouldn't be a good idea to suddenly go all Demon mode in Seigaku.

He didn't mean to see them while.. they were changing. He's no perv! He was just trying to find that Ryuzaki girl and he thought that he already found her so he followed the twelfth braids girl! She had her headphones on so she didn't hear him call for her. Well, he was shouting, 'Hey, Ryuzaki!', and since she's not Ryuzaki, of course, she won't turn. So he chased after her until he entered a door and then girly shrieks erupted and then balls came flying his way and then more girls arrived and then-.. GAAAAAAAH! DAMMIT!

But Yukimura taught him never to hurt a girl, and he shall not disappoint his Buchou. He will be a gentleman, like his Yagyuu-senpai. He shall not activate Demon mode-..

BOOOOGSH.

A ball slammed straight to his face and it sent him sailing to the air.

...

Rikkai..

In his Art class, Yukimura suddenly dropped his paintbrush and he froze. Blinking in confusion, he moved to reach for it but then stopped midway when a familiar and bratty-sounding 'YUKIMURA-BUCHOUUUUUU!' rang in his mind. Looking around, he gazed at his classmates but there was no one who could've said that. And.. he was fairly sure that the voice sounded like..

"Akaya..", the blue-haired lad muttered quietly.

Oh, if only he didn't have to attend the meeting of the Beautification committee for the upcoming graduation, he would've gone after the seaweed head. Sanada better move fast and save the Rikkai Baby.. or he shall suffer the consequences later.

...

St. Rudolph..

Mizuki was, as usual, twirling his hair in that weird way of his when his phone rang and a familiar name registered on the screen. It's a fellow Dataman.

"Taki-san, it's been a while. What can I do for you?"

Big mistake, Taki. Moments later, insane laughter could be heard from the St. Rudolph clubroom and Yuuta seriously pondered about skipping practice that day.

...

Seigaku..

Inui was grinning madly like a.. mad scientist while gazing at his new creation in the Erlenmeyer flask, resembling a proud daddy when his phone vibrated and he quickly fished it out of his breast pocket.

"Hello, this is-.. Oh, Renji. It's you."

"Sadaharu, I need your help."

...

The bell rang, marking the end of the lunchbreak. The cheering spectators parted when Kaidou started to walk away with his hands in his pockets. "I shouldn't waste my time on idiots like you. Ffshuu.. You'll just lower me to your level then beat me with experience..", but he was barely out of the canteen when Sakuno followed after him, his Bentou box in the her hands.

"K-Kaidou-senpai, you're Bentou!"

The Viper turned and saw the auburn-haired girl behind him. Right.. his Bentou. Nodding to her, he took the box and murmured a low, "Arigatou..", before gazing away again.

"Y-You're welcome, Senpai!", and then he heard the sound of her footsteps moving away from him.

"Sakuno, we'll be late!"

"That Mamushi.. Tsss. 'Nyways, I'll go ahead. See ya later, guys."

"Wah, oi, Momo! I almost forgot! You're going to accompany your Senpai to the-.."

"Ah, gomen, Eiji-senpai. But..", clears throat, "Something came up and-.."

"Nya?! You're just going on a date again with Tachibana-san's imouto, aren't you? You, sly porcupine, you!"

"S-She just invited me to a match and..- IT'S NOT A DATE! And quit calling me porcupine, Senpai!"

"Senpai, you're attracting attention.."

"We better go. Come on, Sakuno!"

Those nitwits, Kaidou thought. Discreetly peering over his shoulder, he spotted the two girls hurrying to get to class. His green eyes stayed on Sakuno's back for a bit.. and it lost its harsh expression. He can still vividly remember what happened that day.

_The rain suddenly fell and Kaidou quickened his pace. He doesn't have an umbrella with him, darn it. He should've asked his Inui-senpai for the weather forecast. Now his bag's all wet and probably, his books as well. If only he hadn't gotten carried away while he was looking for some books in the new bookstore a few blocks away from school. It had a good collection of Japanese literature books from the Meiji era. Turning around a corner, he was surprised when he heard a weak "Meow.." close by that made him stop. _

_It's a cat. _

_His instincts immediately sharpened and he looked around in search for it. Again, there was a "Meow.." and he followed the sound. Soon, it led him to a bush and behind it is a weak-looking white cat, drenched by the rain. It was limply lying on the muddy soil and Kaidou can't help but feel a pang in his chest. He never liked seeing cats in such a way. It didn't even have the energy to look for a shelter!_

_Pitying the poor creature, he crouched down and lifted it gently from the ground, then swiftly moved to take off his black school coat and carefully wrapped it around the cat. Its agonized cry made him clench his jaw and worry coursed through the boy. He's afraid that it has a dislocated bone or something since it can't move properly. His bigger form shielded the cat from the rain, because aside from the bushes, there was no tree near them. Even though it was freezing cold, he covered the creature from the merciless rain and held it closer to him._

_Kaidou is a sucker for animals. _

_It's a secret he never wanted anyone to know. It will only tarnish his reputation and he knows he will be the laughing stock in Seigaku, just like what happened to him when he was in primary school. He didn't want other people to know about his fondness for animals, because he didn't want them to mock him again for being a soft-hearted Snake. _

_They said his face didn't suit that kind of personality. _

_So he was really bummed when an umbrella appeared above him and the cat. And when he raised his head, he was stunned to see his coach's granddaughter, Ryuzaki Sakuno, standing beside him with a grocery bag, her chocolate brown orbs looking at him with surprise._

_He expected her to laugh at him, or maybe grin a little. But when he saw her concerned gaze land on the cat in his arms, and when she said, "T-There's a waiting shed near here, Senpai..", unexplainable relief flooded him and he nodded his assent. Together, they walked to a waiting shed, with him holding her grocery bag and the umbrella 'coz he was taller and the auburn head carrying the cat while gently cooing to it. Kaidou never felt so awkward in his life. His face was burning with embarrassment but he didn't let it show._

_When they reached the shed, she gave the cat back to him and then took something out from her grocery bag. A whole fish. And without a second thought, she gave it to the cat. That simple act of generosity she showed made Kaidou almost want to pat her and thank her for doing that, because the creature looked like it really needed some food. The smell of the fish made the cat perk and it was not long before it started devouring its early dinner. It seemed so hungry and based on the collar around its neck, it has an owner. Poor thing. Domesticated cats find it harder to look for food than untamed ones._

_Sakuno smiled tenderly and whispered, "The rain will stop anytime soon now.."_

_But it didn't. They stayed under the shed for an hour. But it didn't seem to be a problem for the girl, she didn't even thought of leaving them, although she knew her Obaa-chan would probably get angry if she comes home late. _

_Kaidou was dumbfounded. There were several instances before when girls would just scream whenever he'd look at them, like he's some bloody criminal. There were times he'd been accused of things he never did. And there were times that kids would just cry as soon as they see him. He never meant to scare anyone. He was just born with a serious face, is all. Is it that big a deal? So he was inwardly glad when the auburn head showed no sign of fear. Instead, she appeared to be comfortable. He wondered what made her stand his presence. Was it what she saw a while ago? Can something like that just change a person's view of him? He had no idea. Is that really how the human mind works or is it just her?_

_He rather liked the appreciative silence that enveloped them. And the sound of the falling rain was a nice background music._

_Hours later, they found the cat's owner.. a little girl. She thanked Sakuno profusedly but then the auburn head said, "I-It's not me who found your cat. It's Kaidou-senpai." At first, the little girl was baffled. But then, she stepped towards him, and bowed with tears in her eyes, grateful for what he did. And it felt good for Kaidou._

_The next day, various thoughts crossed his mind. Will she tell his teammates? Or her grandmother? Or that loud-mouthed friend of hers? God, no. Should he glare at her to warn her not to tell anyone? Or should he just ignore her and act as if it never occurred? _

_But when Tennis practice started, nothing unusual happened. Horio didn't say anything, and neither did that Tomoka when she and Sakuno visited their club. Everything was normal.. except for one thing. Sakuno's not looking at him the way other people do anymore. She was smiling.. and even when he tried to act all scary, she didn't falter. It was weird at first.. but then he just got used to her new way of treating him. He didn't really mind. Truth be told, it's nice to know that there's someone out there who won't easily get scared of him, won't judge him and won't laugh at him for liking furry animals._

Sakuno was amazed by her Senpai's hidden gentleness that not a lot of people knew, while Kaidou was awed by the girl's strange-in-a-good-way kindness that not a lot of people have. In some level, he admires her. But he knew better than to let it grow further. Because he's not as dense as people thought him to be. He notices the way Tezuka glances at her, the way Fuji smiles whenever she's around and the way Kikumaru's glomps get more frequent each passing day. He won't compete against them, he knows he doesn't stand a chance. They're all good guys anyway. So whoever she ends up with, he'll be happy for her. As long as that guy takes care of her, he'll stay hidden in the background, just watching. But whoever that is, he better not make her cry or there will be hell to pay. She's a good girl and she doesn't deserve anything less.

Kaidou averted his gaze away from her and continued on his way, the cat-shaped Onigiri still inside his red Bentou box.

...

Tezuka was reading his World History book, his pencil poised over it when the conversation amongst the girls near his table piqued his attention. It's not like him to eavesdrop but what he heard needed his immediate attention.

"Kirihara Akaya's here?!"

"Yeah! And you know what? He keeps on chasing after small girls with twin-braids!"

And the pencil in his hand broke.

...

Once upon a time, there was a seaweed-haired boy named Kirihara Akaya. He was really naive, especially in the area concerned with the reproduction system and how it functions. His parents avoided the topic and he himself never bothered to learn about it because he deemed sleeping more important. It's a pity that his life will now be ended, courtesy of the Seigaku regulars. Or shortened. So they will all live happily ever after.. except for him, they'll probably beat him up in the next chapter.

...

TBC

...

**A/N: Oh gosh, this is long! I'm sorry for making you guys wait; I hope this chapter can at least make up for it. I was pretty busy, working part-time and all. Anyway, how is it? Yaaaa, I've always wanted to write a KaidouxSakuno fanfic. There are only a few of them here in ! So I guess you guys now have a clue on the stories of each of them. Crushes, Fairy-tale romance and so on. I swear, someone mentioned about Tezuka's relationship with Sakuno in Chap. 4. SOMEONE DID. Promise. I can't reveal who though. **

**I wanted to write side-stories about the other characters who didn't have a lot of screentime in Prince of Tennis like Taki, and the others who were not really that noticed, like Kaidou and Hiyoshi. I'm still in the process of thinking up stories for the others and how to connect them to each other. It will be tedious but hey, they're worth it. **

**Promise, I'll update much faster next time. Please leave a review! I feel giddy everytime I read your reviews! Pretty please! Whoa, the reviews reached 95 and the reads were about 3000, the last time I checked. You people are awesome! Oh yeah! And because of that, I'll work harder for Chap. 6. Hang in there for a while, folks. My plan was to end this in 15 chapters but I guess I won't be able to do that anymore. 25 or 27 perhaps? What do you think?**

**And here's the current poll results:**

**Tezuka Kunimitsu- 15%**

**Yukimura Seiichi- 15%**

**Fuji Syusuke- 12%**

**Sanada Genichirou- 10%**

**Kirihara Akaya- 9%**

**Atobe Keigo- 8%**

**Shiraishi Kuranosuke- 7%**

**Niou Masaharu- 6%**

**Oshitari Yuushi- 4%**

**Marui Bunta- 3%**

**Kikumaru Eiji- 2%**

**Shishido Ryou- 2%**

**Ootori Choutaro- 1%**

**Tooyama Kintarou- 1%**

**Whoa, Tezuka's in the lead! In the poll, he's leading by 1 vote. But don't worry; this isn't really the final results, because I haven't added the votes from the reviews yet. Don't forget to leave a review and vote! Now that I'm done with Kaidou, time to get on with Akaya's story. Matta ne, minna-sama. **


	6. Kirihara's SOUE II

Chapter Six:

Kirihara's series of unfortunate events (Part Two)

...

**On the other hand, the people I thought to be gentle and too kind to even hurt a fly, can really be scary when angered, especially when it concerns the people they care about. They have a strong protective streak in them and sometimes, sadistic to those they don't want around their loved ones. They can be caring and sweet.. or deadly and vindictive. **

**That's what makes my friends stand out from the rest. They're unpredictable and most of the time, crazy. And I love them. A book shouldn't be judged by its cover indeed.**

...

Rikkai..

Lunchbreak was long over, but Marui's still going for his 27th piece of Onigiri. He had his Rikkai school coat hanging on the back portion of his chair, his Math book standing in front of him to serve as his cover from the eyes of his most favorite teacher (with full sarcasm), who was busy scrawling on the blackboard with formulas and equations and more boring stuff that a Genius like him can't be bothered with, duh. But as soon as he took his first bite, the redhead's nose scrunched up in distaste and he swiftly chucked it into the plastic bag under his wooden desk, his pink orbs showing his grave dismay. What do they put in these?! None of the Onigiri's he tasted even came close to the ones he had yesterday, and only a few were decent enough to eat!

His stomach felt like turning.. Ugh.

The self-proclaimed Genius already had a lot of cakes earlier and he's just so full. Those girls sure can make cakes but when it comes to Onigiri's, even Bakaya can outdo them.. and that dolt can't cook for his life. They need to practice their skills in making authentic Japanese food. A LOT OF PRACTICE. Some of the Onigiri's were so hard, it's like taking a bite of Sanada's family rock. Some even tasted like it. How he had a taste of said rock.. Niou the Great Lunatic is to blame.

Oh darn, he's gonna burst. Really, he thought this will be a nice date with deliciously made Onigiri's but apparently, he's wrong. Reaching for the 28th piece, he slightly grimaced at its appearance. It's uneven and the rice looked too thick, like it had been soaked longer than it should've been. What have they done to this poor Onigiri? They have violated the sacred art of making it! What a waste!

But even though he can always just stop himself from tasting them, even though he can just give all the unappealing ones to Jackal (and make him eat all of it) and go back into eating his heavenly cakes, he didn't. Marui still continued on.. and oddly, he felt compelled to go through all 64 of them.

Because.. that Onigiri he really liked wasn't much of a looker too. It was plain and nothing seemed to be special about it at first. But he was proved wrong after having a taste of it. He can't just give up this early in his search, now can he? Besides, he has a Bentou box to return.

"Marui, where's your Math assignment?"

Whoops. Well, he didn't know they have an assignment. Or maybe he wasn't listening when the teacher announced about it. Peeking above his book, he sent his beloved teacher (again, note sarcasm) a cheeky grin that only earned him a deeper frown. With her graying hair all tied up in a tight bun like that and her overly formal clothes, she looked like the typical strict teacher who'd spank her students if they're being naughty (Whoa, Kinky there). She just loves to pick on him, he didn't know why though. Maybe she just doesn't like good-looking boys like him? Or maybe she's jealous of his amazing Tensai qualities? Hmm.. Maybe both? Tsk, it's really difficult to be BOTH handsome and smart, there's so many haters. Yeah, tough life. Oh well, haters gonna hate.

Now, what to do? She's obviously pissed with him and for sure, she's going to throw him out again, no matter what he says. Okay, might as well milk this for all its worth. He'll be thrown out anyway.

"It committed suicide, had too many problems."

And poof, here comes another tick mark on her forehead. He heard his classmates snicker in the background and he himself was trying hard not to laugh at the sight of the epic expression on her face, she looked so angry to the point that it became funny. The teacher marched up to his seat with her arms crossed in front of her, her brows knitted in irritation so much, it resembled the Unibrow of that loud and arrogant freshman boy from Seigaku. The Rikkai redhead adjusted the book a bit closer to him, careful not to let her see the Onigiri's on his wooden desk.

"If you're going to be a smartass, first you have to be smart. Otherwise, you're just an ass, Marui Bunta!"

"But I'm a genius."

And more tick marks. Yeah, this is probably how Niou feels whenever he puts caterpillars on his teacher's hair. It's simply exhilarating. But what he didn't expect is for the teacher to snatch away the book from his hands, revealing the Onigiri's (Damn..). Her brown eyes flashed angrily and he prepared himself for the incoming onslaught. Countdown! 3, 2, 1..-

"MARUI BUNTA! YOU BALL-OF-FAT, STOP EATING IN MY CLASS!"

"But it's a law.. (1)", and he almost added, 'I'm not fat, I'm sexy and you know it.' And in the back of his mind, he can almost hear LMFAO singing to that.

"DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A CAKE TO YOU?!"

Her face was so red, he suddenly worried for her blood pressure.

"No. But it still gives me energy."

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT, STOP TALKING BACK TO ME!"

Nah, she's fine.

"But you asked me a question. I'm just answering you." And again, he almost added, 'I'm not a brat. You talking 'bout Bakaya?', but he bit his tongue at the last second. Good call.

"IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!"

"But technically, it's still a question."

"GET OUT!"

"Whoa, someone's in a bad mood..", and the Glucose-lover mumbled audibly, "Yeah, that time of the month."

"MARUI BUNTA, GET OUT!"

He mentally noted, 'Gotta stop hanging around Niou and Aka-chan too much.'

...

Seigaku..

The next teacher hasn't arrived yet, so Sakuno still has a few minutes to recheck her homework. But.. she's not really in the mood to do it right now so she just closed her notebook and placed it back on her desk, the call of laziness stronger than her want for a good score. The other students were either chatting with friends, texting or taking a nap. Well, a nap sounds good. Releasing a long breath, she placed a dainty hand behind her neck and gently massaged it, the other fingering her long auburn locks that were weaved into intricate braids. She felt dead tired and her chocolate brown orbs were so heavy, must be the effects of the medicine she took earlier. Oh, how she missed her bed at home. So sleeeepy. Drowsy and bored.. Funny, it rings a bell. And as if on cue, her gaze flew to the empty seat on her left and her pink lips curled into a reminiscent smile.

That was Echizen's former seat.

She wondered how he's doing. After the Nationals, he just disappeared without even saying goodbye, even to his teammates, who were quite nonplussed when they found out about his sudden departure. But, that's just how he is. He's independent and he has his own way of doing things. And because of that, the auburn-haired girl envies him a bit. It must be so good to be able to do anything he wants. He can go to and from America on a whim, and alone! Isn't he just the same age as her? Echizen's so lucky, he's already done so many things that she can only dream about.

There were times before when Tomoka would ask her if she misses the young Prodigy.. and she'd answer, 'O-Of course, I do'. There was no point in denying it. But there's nothing wrong with that, ne? Echizen was a friend of hers, and he inspired her in so many ways. Truth be told, maybe she had a crush on him. Well, umm, okay, not just MAYBE. But.. Sakuno knows he will never see her the way she saw him. He has his golden eyes set on winning, and he'll never take notice of her. Who was she anyway? She's just a fan, who can't even hit a decent ball without stumbling and falling flat on her face. She's just ol' clumsy Ryuzaki Sakuno, and her feeble attempts to cheer him on can never win against the screams of his battalions of fangirls. So, even though it was a little hard, she accepted it. Her unrequited crush on him will just stay like that forever.. unrequited.

But of course, she will still support him from the sidelines and wish him the best. It's the only thing she can do for him right now. Shaking her thoughts away, the girl felt something vibrating in her bag. So she opened it and whipped out her mobile phone. Seems like someone's calling, and when she glanced at the screen, her Obaa-chan's name was displayed. Are, why is she calling her? Quickly exiting the classroom (of course, her action didn't escape Tomoka's notice, who asked her if something was wrong but the girl just shook her head with a smile before continuing on her way), Sakuno answered it.

"Obaa-chan?"

"Sakuno..?", her Grandmother's voice was oddly lowered, and the younger Ryuzaki can't help but instantly feel slightly concerned. Oftentimes, the Dragoncoach's voice would boom over the phone, so this is.. strange. Something's not right. "Sorry to disturb you, but can you do me a favor? I just got home.."

Home? Why is she home?

"N-Nande? Obaa-chan? Is anything wrong?"

"I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Gripping her phone a little tighter, the auburn head worriedly asked, "Tired? Obaa-chan, what's happening? Are you really alright?", Sumire's not the kind of person who goes home just because of simple exhaustion and she knows it.

"Mattaku, Sakuno. Stop worrying so much, I'm fine.. Well, I just need to rest."

"Eh? Are you sure? D-Do you want me to go home now? Obaa-chan-.."

"Sakuno..", Sumire gently chided and she bit her lip to stop herself from talking. What can she do? She's her grandmother, of course she'll be worried. The older Ryuzaki has this bad habit of keeping secrets from her, what if she's not really okay and she's just lying and..- "I know what you're thinking. No, really, Sakuno, I'm okay. Don't worry." The auburn girl blinked in surprise, did the older woman just read her thoughts? "I just need you to do something for me." Sakuno emitted a small sound of assent and her Obaa-chan continued, "You see, I left my pills in the clinic. It's the ones the school doctor gave me. Can you go get them?"

"C-Clinic?"

...

Shitenhouji..

Eating together became a daily routine of the team. It was one of Osamu's lousy ideas to get them to 'bond' more, whatever the heck that means. For Zaizen, it's a big hassle. Because first, he can never eat in peace whenever they're around, they're just too damn noisy, like wild monkeys that got out of their cages. Second, Kintaro and Kenya would always try to steal some of his Bentou that usually ends in him being left with nothing (he's lucky if he gets a spoonful) and third, he always ends up late for his next class. Like today, for example. Oh well, it's Classics anyways so he really couldn't care less.

There must've been something wrong with the wires in his head when he first agreed to join this dysfunctional excuse for a club. But, he guess it's okay. They're a rather good source of entertainment. Most of the time though, they're just plain pains in the ass.

"Kin-chan, come on. Sadako's not real~..", said Koharu like a worried mother (he did look the part too as he was wearing his newly bought polka-dotted dress, that he tried on just for the sake of creeping out his teammates and seeing what their reactions will be), his hands dramatically wringing on a pink handkerchief, as he tried to persuade the Shitenhouji redhead to listen to him. On the other hand, Kintarou was hiding inside the shower room, his skin getting paler and paler by the second and his whole body shaking in pure terror. Classes have already started but Kintarou wouldn't come out of the clubhouse no matter what they do. His Senpai-tachi, aside from the Captain and Chitose (who's currently in a Shougi parlor instead of their school due to his ever-present wandering complex), were gathered in front of the door, persuading him to get out of there already.

"SHE IS! SHE IS! KENYA SAID SO!"

"Kenya..", Gin, who sat on the bench near the door, sent a stony and reprimanding look to the Speedstar, while the latter was trying very hard to play innocent as if he didn't really intend on scaring their red-haired Rookie. It didn't work though. The innocent look just didn't suit him.

"..What? I was just kidding."

Yuuji deliberately threw a ball at him. "You idiot."

"SHE'S SO SCARY, SHE'S WORSE THAN THAT CREEPY CRAWLING WOMAN FROM THE GRUDGE!"

"Why are we even talking about this?", grumbled an annoyed Zaizen as he stood a few steps away from them with his arms behind his head. He could've already left but he didn't because it just didn't seem right to let his moronic Senpai-tachi handle this all by themselves. Who knows what will happen if they're left without someone to keep them in line? And admittedly, he's a little, JUST A LITTLE, concerned. "This is nuts. Kenya-senpai, you caused this. Do something about him."

"Alright, alright." The Speedstar placed a contemplative finger on his chin, which almost made Zaizen want to say something unflattering but he changed his mind. Thinking's already hard for his Senpai, why make it harder for him, right? After a second or two, Kenya suddenly lit up and nodded. "Kin-chan, I know someone scarier and way deadlier than Sadako. Shall I tell you?", he stepped forward to the door with an almost devilish smirk, knowing whatever he's going to say will work. "You'll have to come out of there though, or he might come and get you out himself."

"H-HE?! W-W-WHO?!"

"That's your idea?! The heck, if you continue doing that, he'll just stay up all night then he'd bug your cousin again in Tokyo to come help him. Come to think of it, that one's your fault too, you made Kin-chan believe that that Megane guy's a SUPERHERO." Yuuji scratched the back of his head as he gave his watch a short glance, "Crap, we're really late."

"But it's Shiraishi who started it! He's the first one who told Kin-chan about Yuushi's..", then he made a move to make quotation signs, "..SUPER POWERS, not me!", the bleached-haired lad sniggered to himself, "Serves him right."

Koharu pushed his glasses up, that suddenly had a knowing glint, with the tip of his fingers, "Kenya-kun, you did this on purpose, didn't you~?", and that statement made the Speedstar bolt his head to him, "To irk your cousin. That's why you gave his number to Kin-chan." And before Kenya can even interrupt, the Shitenhouji Dataman waved his hand to dismiss him, "Oh please, don't deny it. I know you did, don't ask how. I KNOW EVERYTHING~", His claim sent chills to his teammates' spines. Everything? "Wow, you have such a weird way of expressing how much you miss him~"

"WHAT?! Me.. missing that legs-loving pervert?! Nuh-uh!"

"Denial, denial~.."

"Why don't you just give him a call?", came Yuuji's seemingly innocent suggestion. When was the last time the Oshitari cousins had a normal phonecall without any of them being their snotty, arrogant selves? He was going to say something more when an idea struck him..

"OOOOOOI, WHO WAS IT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, KENYA?! WHO IS HEEEE?! OI!"

"May Buddha have mercy on you people."

"Must be tough to accept the fact that he prefers the company of his city friends than his own flesh and blood, na Senpai?", said a voice that sounded exactly like Zaizen, but was absolutely not Zaizen.

"SHUT UP, YOU BRA-..", but then Kenya saw the Second year giving him a 'Not me, you dumbass' look and then his eyes caught Yuuji plastering a triumphant smirk, "HITOJI, YOU RASCAL! STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR VOICE!"

"OOOOOOI! KENYAAAA!"

"Where's Shiraishi-senpai when we need him?", Zaizen rolled his eyes as he casually placed his hands inside his pockets. It's really hard for him, seeing he's the only normal one among them. Or so he thought. Shitenhouji's not exactly 'normal', afterall.

Fed up, the Speedstar shouted, "Do you want me to get him out of there or not?!", then he turned back his attention to the freshman who was on the other side of the door, "Listen closely, Kin-chan. A long time ago..", and he went on with a story about a little demon baby Sadako had before she was pushed into the well. This was a technique he learned from the master of telling nonsense stories himself, Shiraishi Kuranosuke. If ever something goes out of hand with Kintarou that has something to do with stories, then he should just counter it with another made-up story.

While all that jazz was happening (the others just gave up and let the Speedstar do what he wanted as long as it can solve the problem), Koharu, who heard Zaizen's question, answered with an air of mysticism around him, "I dunno..", then he wore a smug smirk, "Maybe pondering about his lovelife..~", at this, the Second year raised a skeptical brow and Gin blinked in surprise. Lovelife?

While Kenya was still busy, "After she died, he's been adopted by eight boys who took care of him and taught him everything they knew, so that after they're gone, he will be the one to rule their evil empire. They considered him as their baby and went to great lengths just to protect him. Even the Child of God loved him! But beware.. because when provoked, his eyes turn bloodshot and he will dye you red while cackling insanely!"

"..particularly about his future girlfriend~.. Na, Yuu-kun?"

"There was a rumor though that he'd show up in the most unexpected places, like the shower room-.. WAIT, WHAT?!", and Kenya snapped his head to the others in a neck-breaking speed. "Future girlfriend?!", while inside the shower room, Kintarou started screaming his lungs out.

Yuuji just shrugged and slipped an arm around his on and off boyfriend's shoulders, not entirely comfortable with Koharu's plans. The topic made the black-haired Sophomore Tensai tilt his head to the side, while Gin nodded his head as if he too liked the idea. Shiraishi had been too occupied with them and that just wouldn't do. He should not sacrifice his happiness just for the team!

Making an indignant face, the Speedstar of Naniwa spoke, "But I'm the Speedstar! He can't have a girlfriend faster than me!"

Koharu lightly patted his arm, which made Yuuji narrow his eyes into suspicious slits, "Oh, you. Don't worry, after this, I'll find you a girlfriend too!", then he giggled. "Or if you want, I can-..", but his doubles partner/boyfriend tightened his hold on him with a certain degree of possessiveness.

Totally ignoring the last statement, he asked , "Eh, you'll find a what?", and then realization suddenly bombarded Kenya as the Gay genius conspicuously grinned, "You planned this, didn't you? You'd set him up with a girl! Oi, who's that girl, by the way? Is she pretty?", he inquired, seemingly forgetting about Kintarou who's wailing now for help. The others didn't seem to notice too, thoroughly absorbed with the subject of their conversation.

"She's really adorable and cute, that I can assure you, Kenya-kun!", Koharu gushed excitedly.

In the midst of the talk, Zaizen, the sanest of them all (or so he thought), remembered Kintarou and tried to remind them too, "Uh, Senpai-.."

"What?! Then you should've just set her up with me! Shiraishi's busy with club responsibilities anyway!", Kenya's loud retort interrupted the Tensai so again, he tried..

"Guys, Kin-..",

"You selfish, selfish bastard!", Yuuji pointed an accusatory finger at the Speedstar as he spoke, "That's why Koharu is doing this, because Shiraishi is too busy to find himself a girl. And you have a lot of fangirls already!"

"So you're agreeing with me on this, Yuu-kun~?"

"As long as it makes you happy, Koharu.."

"Yuu-kun~"

"Koharu.."

"Why am I even bothering?", Zaizen said in utter irritation. "There they go again. Somebody, make them stop.. Ugh. Ishida-senpai?", the only Sophomore felt a headache coming. When he turned to look at the bald man in the clubhouse, he just shook his head as if saying, 'I'm not touching them nor am I going to go near them.'

His Senpai-tachi are definitely idiots.

"Yuu-kun~!"

"Koharu..!"

And began a love scene that thoroughly disgusted everybody else.

"Perhaps it will be better if Kintarou stays inside the shower room for a while..", Gin sighed as he got up and walked to the shower room door. He stood up and used his body as a barricade so that Kintarou could't come out, even if he slam his body to the door, which he is now doing. The Hadoukyou Grandmaster's usually calm demeanor is now unamused and a bit nauseous. "His mind shan't be ruined by these sinful beings."

Zaizen almost wanted to savagely scratch his eyeballs out of their sockets at the sight. It made his eyes burn. What was he thinking when he joined them? He must've been drugged. But, Kenya didn't pay them any attention as he continued to insist his point. "But my fangirls are crazy. They're driving me crazy! And Shiraishi thinking about a girl means that girl is someone worth courting. Where is she from? I bet she'd like me better!"

His genius of a Kouhai smirked at him. Arguing with his short-tempered Senpai is better than watching the two lovey-doveys snog each other's sexually preoccupied brains out, "You know, Senpai, I could agree with you. But then we'd both be wrong."

"You little-..! Don't your parents teach you good manners, huh?! Why don't you try being nicer sometimes?!"

"I'll try to be nicer if you try to be smarter."

"YOU SON OF A STUPID TENNIS PLAYER, I'LL KILL YOOOOOOOOU!"

It was only a matter of seconds before he got Zaizen in an air-depriving headlock.

"Koharu, I love you, Koharu!"

"Yuu-kun~!"

"KENYAAAAAAAA! GET ME OUT OF HERE! GET ME OUT OF HERE! HEEEEEEELP! SOMEBODY LOCKED THE DOOR, I CAN'T GET OUT! SHIRAISHI! HEEEEELP! HE'S COOOOOMING!"

That was the scene that welcomed Shiraishi when he entered the clubroom. Koharu and Yuuji being all rated M, Kenya throttling Zaizen and Gin standing in front of the shower room door like a British royal guard. Not to mention, Kin-chan's screams. Bloody hell. Sometimes, he can't help but think that accepting the Captaincy was like asking for his very own death sentence. Where's his vice-captain, Koishikawa, anyway?

...

Seigaku..

"The bus has a flat tire?", Inui asked incredulously. What kind of rotten luck does this people have? They missed the first bus a while ago and they had to wait for the next one. Now the bus they're currently at has a flat tire? These kind of circumstances didn't cross his data, even Yanagi's. HOOOOOW?! "But walking will take you another hour."

The voice on the other line answered and he nodded. "Okay then. I'll do what I can. I'll try to find him." After that, he closed shut his phone. The Data of the two best Data players going wrong only meant one thing. "The Gods must be intervening..", the Seigaku Dataman muttered to himself. Of course, that must be it. Or.. no. That can't be. He's not losing his touch, is he? That's just illogical. Too illogical that his brainy.. brain can't even comprehend. Rikutsu janai.. When he was about to walk out of the lab, he noticed something rather strange with the Inui juice containers inside the cabinets and he halted before changing his direction.

There are only a few things in life that could catch Inui off guard; His data being wrong, his shorts being pulled down that results to revealing little Inui to the world (2), Ghosts (3), Fuji's spontaneous sadistic comments, Kaidou having amnesia (4), the girls from the idol group Chocolates giving him kisses (5) and.. this.

"W-Where are they?", and his soul withered.

His babies! His Inui juice had been juice-napped! Who in their right mind would do that?!

...

When the teacher bid her goodbye, a lot of the female students turned their heads back to the Seigaku Tensai seated near the window and resumed their daily Bishie watching. Fuji appeared to be specially delighted today. And anyone who'd glance his way will definitely comment on how divine he looked, with his brunette strands framing that beautiful, smiling face of his, his long fingers wrapped around his white-colored water bottle. The sight made his fangirls sigh dreamily.

Oh, if only they knew. He happily hummed as he took a sip of the juice he 'borrowed' from Inui's lab. This is just exquisite. And he can't seem to get enough. But maybe.. he took a lot from Inui's container. Should he return some of them? Hmm, Inui can always make another batch.

"Fuji-sama, how's your day today?", the shrill voice pulled the Tensai from his reverie and he revealed his cerulean, blue orbs. His gaze went to the three girls standing beside him and seeing his eyes made them squeal in the typical fangirl-like fashion. And it made him feel slightly annoyed. He didn't know why though because he usually tolerates the presence of his fangirls. "KYAAAA! Fuji-samaaa!"

He liked it better when Echizen was still in Seigaku, because before, all the craziest fangirls were all pro-Echizen. But now that he's gone, the numbers of Fuji and the rest's fangirls increased. And he must say, they're really extreme to the point of stalking.. so unlike Sakuno who's just a silent fan in the shadows. The brunette's thoughts froze.

Sakuno..

On second thought, he'd rather not have Echizen here.

"Fuji-sama, want me to refill your bottle?", one of the girls offered with an ear-to-ear smile. And oddly, it made the Tensai a tad more miffed and a tinge of sadism flashed in his eyes. There was a strong urge in him that kept pestering him to no end. But why? "I'll do it for you!"

"No, I'll do it!"

Their voices just heightened his distaste that he carefully masked with his usual smile. What's wrong with him? He's not usually sadistic to girls.

"No way, I will!"

"I asked him first!"

That's it.

"There's no need, really. You don't have to bother. There's still a lot, I can even share them with you." And the girls squealed again. They can't believe it, the Seigaku Genius sharing his water? OMFG, OMFG, OMFG, OMFG, they'll have an indirect kiss with him! OMFG! "Thirsty?", he asked in his usual pleasant voice, his tantalizing blue eyes gazing at them. ZOMGGGGGG! His eyes are making them woozy! The girl in the middle eagerly grabbed the bottle he held up and took off its cap.

So she drank while Fuji watched her with a sadistic gleam in his orbs, a rare smile playing on his lips. He didn't know why he did it, or why he succumbed to that strong pull of sadism in him, or why there was this protective monster in him that was angrily rearing its head on the girls. But seeing them gulp down that green liquid made him feel as if they deserved it.

Unbeknownst to him, his instincts were right. They really deserved it. Because those three were the Senior girls that tried to take advantage of Sakuno during Lunchbreak.

...

When Sakuno finally got to the Clinic, there was no one in there. And seeing that there's a lot of medicine bottles and boxes on the table, how is she supposed to know which is her Grandma's? Looks like she'll have to wait for the nurse or the doctor. The auburn-haired girl opted to sit on the comfy chair in front of the doctor's table, her hand holding Tezuka's handkerchief resting on the table. The room was spacious, and it accommodated three white beds that had curtains hanging around them, probably for the patients to have privacy. There were metal cabinets lining the wall which was painted all white and the curtains were white too, just like in Rikkaidai. That thought reminded her of the Rikkai regulars she met yesterday, especially Sanada who was so kind to her. Oh right, she has to return his shirt! It will be nice to visit them again, ne?

Letting her gaze roam around the clinic, she took notice of the black schoolbag that was placed on a chair beside one of the beds that was nearest to her. Is someone lying on that particular bed? She didn't know and there was no way for her to know because the curtains around it were down, hiding from her view anyone who might be there. Maybe someone's been admitted earlier. She just hoped it's not one of her Senpai-tachi. Curiosity suddenly ebbed into her mind, who could it be? Is it someone she knows?

As if answering her mental question, a moan sounded from the area where the beds are, followed by other sounds that seemed to indicate that whoever is on that bed is stirring. Odd thing was.. that moan vaguely reminded her of something that happened to her yesterday. And it had something to do with a raven-haired boy with forest green eyes. Color flooded the girl's cheeks as the image of him so close to her invaded her mind. That was the first time anybody had been that close to her, their lips only a few centimeters away, just like the scenes in the romance movies that she watched.. She can't fully grasp what that 'thing', um.. kissing, really means (cause from her point of view, it's just two people sticking their lips to each other) and the whole concept of romance but it makes her feel a bit curious and it's like something in her wants that kind of.. um.. Oh, Kami. No, no, no, she shouldn't think about that right now!

There was another moan again, but this time it was pained. Concern welled up in the freshman girl's chest. What's happening? Is he okay? Yes, it's probably a 'He' because the moan was definitely a boy's. Where's nurse Kanako? The doctor? He must not be feeling well, poor thing! Then he moaned again, and Sakuno nimbly moved to get up, unconsciously losing hold of the handkerchief and it fell to the table. Is he okay? Should she check on him?

"Nnnnnh.."

Her heart went out for the boy and she stepped forward. She can't just sit around and wait! What if something bad is happening to him? What if he's having an attack? A high fever? A bad dream? Well, the last one got her into trouble in Rikkaidai but what if he's having a nightmare and needs to be woken up? Approaching the bed, she slowly lifted a hand to reach for the curtains..

"Oh, Sakuno-chan! You came for your Obaa-chan's medicine?"

Stopping in her tracks, the auburn head turned to the brown-haired nurse who just entered the room. She was quite tall, had a slender figure and friendly gray eyes. Overall, she looked like a kind person. In her arms is a green log book that held the names of the people that went to the clinic that day. "Ah, h-hai..", Sakuno answered, but didn't move from her place. Kanako's already familiar with the younger girl, since Sakuno somehow always gets herself hurt and ends up in the school clinic. She became a regular there that she even befriended the nurse!

Kanako smiled amiably, "Okay then. Ueshima-san had to leave early so he left Sumire-san's medicine with me. Come on, I'll give them to you." She placed the log book over the table and went to the cabinets. And because of that, Sakuno dutifully went to her. She was a bit reluctant though to move away from the beds. Keeping her eyes trained on the third one, she wondered if he's fine. Her worried expression was noticed by the nurse. "What is it, Sakuno-chan?"

"Eh? Ano..", the auburn-haired girl looked down, her face flushed, "I-I think the patient over there is in pain. He's moaning awhile ago."

"Oh? Him? Don't worry, he's fine. We already treated his bruises. He's just sore."

Blinking, Sakuno said in query, "W-What happened?"

"He got hit on the head by soccer balls, then swarmed by the girls Soccer team. You know the girls there, they're quite violent, more masculine compared to average girls." At the look on Sakuno's face, the nurse hastily added with a smile, "He's already fine, promise! You worry too much, Sakuno-chan. That's not good, you know." Kanako patted the girl's head tenderly before beckoning her to the chair in front of the table. "They said he was a maniac. But I believe otherwise. I guess, it's because he just looked too innocent and if he really was a bad person, he would've done something to defend himself. But he didn't. Oh well, maybe today just isn't his lucky day. He'll be okay, he's just tired. But boy, he bleeds easily though."

"So he's alright?"

"Of course, Sakuno-chan." Kanako slightly shook her head, "You don't even know him, he's not a Seigaku student. Why are you worrying so much about a stranger? Sometimes, you're a mystery, you sweet girl." Her last remark made the girl redden more. "Oh, so cute, you're blushing! You're such a nice girl, y'know that? But you should have more confidence in yourself. Do you know that blushing a lot can be a sign of anxiety?"

"I-It is?"

"Yeah. Or maybe, you're just born like that." Kanako chuckled before turning her head back to the cabinets.

Letting out a breath of relief, the auburn head relaxed as the nurse continued looking for Sumire's medicine bottle. Silly her, she shouldn't worry so much. Kanako's a great nurse and surely, she'd already taken care of him. Of course. But.. what was so wrong about worrying for other people, even if he's a complete stranger? Isn't it normal to be concerned for the welfare of others? The girl tilted her head a bit before transferring her gaze to the unorganized things on the table. So messy.. so Ueshima-san. The doctor's a funny guy, that one. And there were times when she'd go to the clinic that she'd find Ueshima and Kanako arguing about the uncleanliness of the room. But even though they bicker a lot, Sakuno would notice the nurse staring warmly at the doctor's back. And when she smiles at him, she really looks pretty. But then, her smiles got less frequent ever since Ueshima got engaged. The auburn head wondered why.

Smiling a bit, her doe eyes scanned everything before landing on the green log book that was already open at the page dated today. There are a lot of names there.. Let's see, Hashimoto Kazuki, Watanabe Toru, Kanesaki Hiroki, Yanagishita..

"Here they are!", the auburn head straightened up and turned to Kanako, who was already walking to her. The older woman placed the small bottle unto the girl's palm and said, "Now go, Sakuno-chan. You wouldn't want to be late for your next class, would you?"

Sakuno giggled softly, "I-I already am. Arigatou, Kanako-san." She bowed a bit before standing up and heading for the door. But she was barely out when a groan sounded behind her and she turned her head to glance for the last time. For some unknown reason, she felt reluctant to leave. It was as if something in her was telling her not to go yet, something was stopping her from taking a step away. Instinct, maybe? But that's just silly, why would she even feel something like that? Maybe she's just thinking too much. With a heavy sigh, she dragged her feet out of the clinic, her left hand tightly gripping her grandmother's med bottle.

If only the nurse didn't come in, she would have seen the same boy she woke up the day before, who went today to Seigaku to search for her. She would've seen the boy who had been through a lot just to find her. And if only she had been given a few more seconds to look at the log book, she would've seen 'Kirihara Akaya' written there at the bottom, and beside it is the word 'Outsider'. Above his name, she would've seen the words 'Tezuka Kunimitsu' and the words 'Two pills for flu' beside it.

...

The teacher divided them into groups of eight and assigned them tasks to do. As usual, Tezuka was chosen as the leader for their group. And being the responsible student that he is, he graciously accepted the job and started formulating a plan for their presentation. He appeared to be the same as he always did. Serious, stoic and calm. And he worked with the same efficiency and precision he'd always shown his classmates. No one would've guessed what was running through his mind the entire time.

Beneath his impenetrable mask, are the worries and concern that he kept hidden. The brown-haired lad has always been looking out for others, but rarely shows it, except for the times when his eyes would unintentionally convey a hint of warmth. Because he strongly believed a leader should be a role model and therefore, he shall never expose his weakness to both his subordinates and his enemies. But at times like this, he finds it a bit difficult though to stop himself from feeling restless. And the worst thing was, it was as if time itself was playing with him and slowed down significantly, just when he was wishing for the class to just end so he could at least see for himself what was going on.

He'll just finish this class. And after this, he will definitely get to the bottom of the news he heard a while ago, a news that somehow had him thinking about the one girl he cares about the most.

A knock on the door made everyone halt and they turned to see who it was. And Tezuka didn't know if he should feel relief or annoyance when a familiar black-haired boy with opaque glasses peeked into the room, excused him from the class and muttered as soon as they got out, "We have a bit of a problem. Well, two actually."

...

Rikkai..

Beside the Rikkai Tennis clubhouse sat a lone redhead, his school bag placed beside him on the bench. Marui wistfully stared at the blue sky as he began on gobbling up the 36th Onigiri. There was no one there aside from him, it was so quiet and he can't help but find it weird, because maybe he just got too used to seeing the courts full of people running around. But he liked it that way. It allows him some time to just think and let his mind afloat without anyone interrupting him, which is rare, considering the fact that this is Rikkaidai where Niou, Kirihara and a lot of other crazy people are enrolled. Sometimes, it's nice to just sit and relax without hearing screams of agony and cries for help, fireworks flying around, yells and threats from Sanada.

The Onigiri in his hand was incredibly delicious. He'd admit that. Compared to the others, it was the best and he was sure whoever made it worked hard. He lowered his hand as a wan smile crept unto his lips, it may be delicious.. but it was definitely not what he was looking for. It lacked something. This is not good, he thought. Because even though he liked the very great 36th Onigiri, he was still unsatisfied. And it only intensified his want to find the 'one'. He badly wanted to have a taste of it again.

36th Onigiri is rejected. 28 more to go.

Now, on to the 37th. And as he opened another batch, his thoughts went to his Math teacher. Was he being too much? Niou's biting sarcasm is just too contagious and sometimes it's really hard to stop himself from being a prick too. He was a jerk and now, he's feeling a bit guilty. That teacher had been hating on him, but she's still a teacher, and deserves some respect. Maybe she was just stressed or something, that's why she kept on picking on him. Oh well. Smirking a little, he bit on the 37th Onigiri. Hm-.. argh, what the heck is in this?!

...

Atobe sat comfortably in his seat, his arms crossed lazily in front of him. A beautiful, operaesque music was playing inside the sleek, black limo which, he must say, suited this very fine day. Beside him was Kabaji who simply sat there like an obedient child. The Hyotei Captain smiled internally, the Giant lad was such a reliable person. Kabaji did everything he asked of him without any complaints; unlike his unruly teammates who whine everytime he says something. Those monkeys are the only ones who dared defy him.. or worse, ignore him.

But it was fine. As long as they can play Tennis, his benevolent heart would try to forgive them. And besides, their stubbornness is what makes them different from his other schoolmates. Oshitari won't be Oshitari if he's not his nonchalant, uncaring self and Gakuto won't be Gakuto if he's not whiny and bigheaded. If they're just the same as the others who kneel and bow in front of him, then they don't deserve the honor of being called his friend. He knows why a lot of people put up with him and comes scurrying his way with just a beck and call. It's either because of his magnificence or his great fortune. But those teammates of his are rather too.. true to themselves. And somehow, in a twisted way, he respects their guts. But Kabaji is different, he follows his orders but Atobe can sense that the boy's intentions are pure. He doesn't know the exact reason though why Kabaji does what he does but the Buchou just lets the Sophomore follow him around. It makes things easier for him. But unlike what other people thinks, Atobe does appreciate his friend's efforts.. in his own way.

"After this, Ore-sama wants to visit that Ramen restaurant you so liked, Kabaji. Ore-sama's tastebuds are strangely craving for that commoner's food."

"Usu."

"And order some take-outs for your sister and give her Ore-sama's regards. By the way, her wedding's fast approaching; Ore-sama's gifts will be the best, na Kabaji?"

"Usu."

Uncrossing his arms and elegantly tossing a silver strand of hair from his face, the King allowed his grey eyes to roam outside the car windows. Even without Kabaji saying directly to him, he knows the Gentle Giant was a bit sad to see his sister be married but it can't be helped, the woman's already of age. But the thought of having a baby nephew made the boy quite excited, Atobe can tell. It's a good thing the party (6) he threw a while back lifted Kabaji's spirits and that-.. his train of thought came into a halt as something blue-green caught his attention and he immediately commanded, "Stop the car." He'd recognize them everywhere, especially that grouchy, capped lad.

With a pompous smirk, Atobe gestured to Kabaji as he got out of the resplendent black limousine. He crossed his arms in a self-aggrandizing way and spoke haughtily, "Hn, if it isn't the Rikkaidai regulars. What are you doing, frolicking here in Kantou?"

And the four Rikkai regulars turned to face the Hyotei King.

...

Seigaku..

Kirihara rubbed his eyes as he slowly got up, his upper torso aching a bit. He still felt sleepy though. Truth be told, he's a lot better now and he could've gotten out of bed earlier but it's just that his body needed the sleep. He was tired and he didn't really get a lot of sleep last night due to thinking too much. Even now, he still wants to take another nap. It was as if the bed was pulling him back and he almost surrendered to its temptation. But then, he pushed it away as an image of a petite girl with long, auburn braids appeared in his head. And actually, he also dreamed of hearing her voice too. It was the most vivid dream he'd ever had.

Pulling the white curtains apart, his forest green orbs peered on a woman sitting on a chair, her gaze fully on the book she was reading. The boy looked around and saw a mirror on the wall facing his bed. As soon as he saw his reflection, his hand shot up to his forehead and touched the band-aid on it, making him wince. His white polo was a mess and there was a lot of dirt on it. Crap, his mom will kill him. There were also a few bruises and long scratches on his arms. What exactly happened to him? Oh.. wait. Those beastly girls attacked him! Damn them. Hmm.. The last thing he could remember.. was himself yelling and trying to explain. But then more girls came and started kicking Soccer balls to his face and he just got so angry that he almost switched to Demon mode, but he stopped himself. They're girls. He should never hurt girls. And because of his internal battle against his other, more violent personality, he lost consciousness. And now, he's here. Damn. How long did he sleep in here and how much time did he waste? Oh damn, damn, damn! He's got to ask the nurse!

The nurse's abrupt movements made him stop and before he can even say anything to call her attention, she said in mild surprise, "Oh! This handkerchief must be Sakuno's!", while holding somehing in her hands.

W-Wha? Saku-.. Sakuno-.. Sakuno..? Wait, what, Sakuno?!

Jumping out of the bed, the seaweed head rushed to the brown-haired woman seated on the swivel chair, and she almost shrieked, startled as he grabbed the light blue fabric from her and asked with wild, bright eyes, "Did you just say SAKUNO?! Sakuno who?! Please tell me this is Ryuzaki Sakuno you're talking about! Is this hers?!"

"Eh, ah.. Ryuzaki-.. Ryuzaki Sakuno?", Kanako placed a hand on her chest to calm herself, he scared the heck out of her! What's the deal with him? Oh God! "Yes, she's Ryuzaki Sakuno..", then she paused a little as his face lit up and he smiled. Sakuno? Sakuno knows this guy? "Wait, you know her?"

"Y-Yeah! I've been looking for her all day! Where is she?! What room is she in now?"

Kanako used her foot as leverage and pushed her swivel chair away from him. Should she tell him? Well.. He doesn't look like a bad person. And her hunch is usually right. His uniform seemed familiar; it looked like the school uniform of her friend's brother, who lives in Kanagawa. If this guy really travelled all the way from Kanagawa to Kantou just to talk to Sakuno, then it must be important. "You see, classes are almost over and I bet she's on her way now to the Boy's Tennis club. That's where she usually goes to after school hours. It's at the West wing of the school. And-..", she was barely finished when the seaweed head sprinted to the beds and took his bag.

"Eh..?"

"Thanks a lot!", he said before opening the door.

"Matte, why were you looking for her anyway?", Kanako can't help but ask. The green-eyed boy grinned at her good-naturedly and she suddenly felt glad that she helped him. Whatever it is he went here for must be really important.

"It's because I have to tell her that she's pregnant!", and he was gone.

The nurse blinked. "Mm'kay." But it didn't take long before the true meaning of his statement registered in her mind and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. Oh. Freaking. Gawd. "WHAAAAAAAT?!"

...

Shitenhouji..

The practice hasn't started yet but Shiraishi already felt tired. His teammates are too much of a handful and their craziness is just killing his braincells. He wondered if aspirin really works. It seemed to help Sanada and Tezuka.. so maybe it could at least ease him of the migraine he has now? And therapy. Yup, his teammates need therapy. Especially Kenya, anger management sessions are a must for him. About Koharu.. nah, he's hopeless.

The light brown-haired lad silently slipped into his light green and yellow regular's jersey, tuning out the noise around him. It's not healthy to always get stressed. Just let them be..

Koharu and Yuuji are now arguing and acting as if they can't stand the presence of each other. They even began throwing things at one another, like how an angry husband and wife would. Koishikawa and Gin were smart enough to get out the clubhouse fast while Chitose was still.. somewhere out there. Probably wandering off on his own with that usual dopey look on his face. And the rest are..

"Who introduced you to this garbage, a deaf person who hates you?", Zaizen uttered as he returned the headset to his Senpai and continued on tying the laces of his white rubber shoes. "They sound putrid."

Kenya clenched his fist as he retorted acidly, "That's a new American rap song, idiot. You won't know good music even if it hits you in the face." He was indignant but in all actuality, he didn't like the song too. He just listened to it because people said it was 'the bomb' or something like that. But of course, his pride won't take any of his Kouhai's insults.

"My five year-old deaf cousin could carry a tune better than that..", The Shitenhouji Sophomore answered back sarcastically before straightening up and reaching for his jacket.

Kintarou, who is now perfectly calm thanks to Shiraishi and his bandages, perked up and interjected, his innocent eyes blinking rapidly, "You have a five year-old deaf cousin?"

Zaizen sent him a look of disbelief before shrugging with a smirk, "You know why I never make fun of you? Because it's pointless, it will take you the rest of the day to figure it out." But there was a trace of fond humor in his voice as he said that to the youngest of their team. He casually strode to the door before glancing back at his fuming Senpai, "If ever you're looking for a good reason to kill yourself, Kenya-senpai, you're shitty taste in music should be at the top of the list. Shiraishi-senpai wouldn't want that though.. You're lucky I'm here to help." Then he exited the clubhouse with a hand in his pocket, the other holding his racquet. But then Kintarou followed suit and everyone inside heard his voice.

"Oi, Zaizen, I almost forgot, you said you'd buy me some Takoyaki today!"

"I did? I don't remem-..", but stopped momentarily, and Shiraishi knew that the redhead was probably using his secret weapon against Zaizen, which is his very own version of a puppy dog look. And of course.. "Fine, whatever."

Shiraishi's lips tugged into a light smile while Kenya repeated, "Help? He's here to help? What help?", then he opened his locker to get his jersey. But when he was just about to lift his hand, his eyes caught sight of something inside that was not supposed to be there. It was a CD that still had it's plastic cover intact, which means it was newly bought. On its front was a picture of a Japanese rapper, and apparently the album was the singer's latest one. "Whoa, what the-..", the bleached-haired lad's face broke into a smile as he took it out of his compartment. "How did this-.. This is awesome! Who's this from? Really-..", he paused as he realized what Zaizen meant by the word 'help'.

Koharu stopped midway from throwing a Tennis ball to Yuuji and stated, "Yesterday, 7:56:23 p.m., a friend of his named Hisanori Satou came to his house and gave him a rap CD titled ****** by *********. 09:17:45 am, today, Hikaru, who's definitely not a rap person, sneaked into the clubhouse while no one was watching and opened your locker with the key he borrowed from Osamu-sensei. Pretty sweet of him, don't you think~? It's his own way of making it up to his Senpai, he knows he pisses you off a lot." The Gay Genius placed both of his hands on his waist, his glasses gleaming. Behind him, Yuuji was slowly creeping close, his eyes on the green balls in Koharu's hands. He has to snatch them away before Koharu starts hurling them at him again.

Kenya slightly gaped as he stared at the CD, before smirking and saying, "What a brat."

Their Second year Kouhai might be a smart-mouth, but he has his good points. He knows when he's being too much to his Senpai-tachi and he's a sucker when it comes to the red-haired Freshman's puppy dog look. And just like him, his teammates have their own good sides too. So even though they're such a pain at times, Shiraishi wouldn't have it any other way.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BALLS, YOU BASTARD!"

"Oi, will you stop that, you two? Other people might hear you and misinterpret! Will you just-.."

"I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR BALLS!"

Shiraishi face-palmed. Ugh, he definitely needs someone to talk to. They're driving him nuts! Someone to talk to.. Should he.. Should he give the Ryuzaki girl a call later?

"OH, YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT! YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED MY BALLS!"

Yeah, he definitely will. For the sake of his sanity.

...

Rikkai..

Kiriyama Reiko, a math teacher, slumped unto her seat with a groan. She's just so tired and her body ached for a hot, salt bath. Those students will be the death of her! They're so darn irritating and sometimes, she can't help but think that she chose the wrong profession. The suffering she experienced over the years made her forget of the reason why she wanted to be a teacher. Their smirks and cackles made her lose her passion for teaching. And now, she's nothing but an old, bitter woman with graying hair.

And that Marui is absolutely one of the worst students she'd ever had! How disrespectful! The other teachers were right, the boys from that Tennis club are conceited and way over their heads. Just because they're popular and blessed with nice looks, they walk around the school like they own it! The first time she saw him in her class, she knew he will be her worst nightmare. And she was right! She will teach him a lesson and she'll get even someday! She'll-.. Eh? Her hands picked up the pack of gum she just saw on her table and inspected it. Who left this here? It was green-apple flavored and based on the cover, it was a rare gum, which means it's one of those ridiculously expensive types. Why would someone leave somehing as pricey as this on her table? Heck, why would anyone even do that? She know she's not exactly the friendliest teacher in school and she patently avoided having attachments with her students. A co-teacher, perhaps? But she doesn't know anyone in the faculty who likes gums.

Shrugging it off, she averted her eyes back to the table and saw a piece of note there too. Quickly realizing that whoever left the gum must've left the paper, she took it and was surprised by what she read.

'Sorry, ma'am. I was a jerk. From your student, Marui Bunta.'

Are..? This is from M-Marui? Figures. He's in love with gums, of course. Why didn't she think of that? Well.. because she didn't expect him to give her something? Yes. She didn't see that coming, nor did she thought that he'd ever apologize. Reiko never thought he'll apologize, so this came as a shock to her. Aren't Tennis club regulars supposed to be proud and arrogant?

Her gaze then went on the lower part of the note and she suddenly felt something sting her hard.

'P.S.: I have a feeling you don't really like me, ma'am. Ever since Day 1. I just wanted to ask.. Why?'

Ever since Day 1..

Swallowing the lump on her throat, the Teacher leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes shut. Ever since she came to Rikkai, she'd always heard stories about the Tennis club from the other teachers, stories that involved bad manners, red and demonic eyes, pranks and smugness. And it built a prejudice in her. She'd always looked at them with a raised brow, her mind full of the gossips she heard. Reiko saw them as a group of adolescent boys who are too full of themselves. And when Marui became her student, she treated him based on her subjective thoughts. She didn't look at him the way a good teacher should. She judged him, because of what she heard about his teammates. And maybe, he just retorts because he's had enough.

Oh my, seems like she's wrong all along. Not all of them are the same.

...

Ootori strolled down the street, his face a bit red and his hands tense. Thanks to his Senpai's help, he'll be able to return the pink ribbon of the girl she met yesterday. But.. he's just giving it back, why's he so nervous? And why is he starting to sweat? Oh God. His heart's beating too fast!

There was supposed to be a practice today but since Atobe left, the others deemed that it's unfair and they started leaving one by one, mumbling that Atobe always gets to do whatever he wants just because he's the Captain. The silver-haired lad knows better though, they just simply wanted a day-off. Except for Hiyoshi, he actually wanted to train. Sakaki was not around and there was none who could stop his teammates. Their Buchou will definitely be bugged when he hears about this. But that's the way his friends are. Sometimes, they're so hard-headed and rebellious. Sometimes, too laid back. But he knows they care for the team, because if they don't, then they won't hang around for three years. Oh well, works for him. It gave him more time to look for Ryuzaki. Everyone had their own agendas, he think. Just an hour ago, he saw his Senpai, Oshitari, talking to his phone with a weird look on his face, muttering something about, "Save you..? What..?", Oh well.

Now, based on the directions he was given, he has to turn left and he'll finally get there. Gripping the ribbon tighter, he nodded to himself and continued on. God, why won't his heart slow down?!

...

Sumire glared heatedly at her phone as she stomped out of her room. She knew letting herself get angry won't do her any good and it will only worsen her blood pressure but the mere thought of that wretched woman's nerves makes her want to shoot somebody! Who the hell does she think she is? No! Sumire won't let her get what she wants! Over her dead body!

The old woman was about to climb down the wooden stairs when she noticed the door to the attic from her peripheral vision. It was where she dumped all the stuff that reminded her of that woman. She would've thrown them out but Sakuno pleaded her not to. Her granddaughter's brown doe eyes did the work and Sumire had no choice but to agree. But now, she will definitely clean up all the mess in that room, no matter what. Stepping onto the stairs, the woman was thinking of ways to get rid of the things in the attic when the doorbell chimed and she was pulled from her reverie. Could that be Sakuno? She went home early?

Hastily walking down, Sumire shook her head. Oh, that girl.. So when she got to the door, she grabbed the knob and opened it.. only to see a familiar, kind-looking, young boy with soft, silver hair, wearing the Hyotei regular's jersey and a necklace with a cross pendant around his neck. Uh, isn't he..

"Ootori Choutaro?", she said in surprise. And the boy in front of her was just as surprised as she was.

...

Seigaku..

Everyone in the Tennis courts was silent. They were all lined up, the regulars wearing their red, blue and white jerseys and the non-regulars in their blue Tennis uniform. The suddenly gloomy sky matched the tension that enveloped them, even the bystanders were quiet. This was a rare sight indeed. It's not everyday they'd see their Captain scolding the Tensai of the team. So everyone, including the other regulars, kept their mouth shut as they eyed the two figures in front of them.

Tezuka's cold, hard gaze was of no effect to Fuji as he just continued to stand there with a satisfied smile on his face, his hands behind his back. With a relaxed countenance like that, he appeared like an innocent angel who will never do anyone harm, but of course the Buchou can see the real him. But, why Fuji did such a thing was beyond him. And based on what he can deduct, it seems like the Brunette didn't know why either. Good thing that the Senior female student only passed out for a few minutes before waking up and puking her guts out. Tezuka could never understand how his friend can see other people's misfortunes as a kind of enjoyable entertainment.

Finally, he released a deep breath then spoke in a monotone, "Fuji, you are not allowed to use Inui juice to torture other people. That's an order."

Tezuka could almost feel Inui's condemning glare on his back. But before they could even discuss Fuji's punishment, a shout nearby sounded and everyone turned to see what was happening.

...

Sakuno was on her way to the Tennis club, her brown school bag slung on her delicate shoulders. Ah, she can almost see them now! They're all in the courts! Hmm.. a minute ago, the sun was scorching hot and now, it seemed to have hidden behind the big, fluffy clouds. Eh, fluffy? The word suddenly reminded her of the big, white dog named Beat she saw yesterday in Hyotei. It was so cute and adorable! Oh, if only she had more time, she would've played with him more! The image of the dog staring at her with such cute, wide eyes made her smile and she walked with a bounce on her steps, her long, auburn braids flying behind her and the hem of her green skirt dancing with her every move. That moment, she looked like a carefree child.

But then her moment was interrupted when a girly, loud and shrill voice shouted, "SAKUNO-CHAN!", followed by a tight glomp that almost had her toppling to the solid ground.

...

Kirihara felt adrenaline rush to his veins as he ran, his forest green orbs wide and bright. Finally! After all that hard work, he finally found her! Whoa, fatherhood's kinda tiring. Will it be always like this? Crap. He should give his Dad more credit, he thought. But he's kinda excited though, just like the time when he first faced Yukimura. It was unnerving and exciting! Now, where is she? Where is she?! A lot of students snapped their heads to him and watched as he hurried to the west part of the school. They were probably bad-mouthing him again but he didn't care. Just like what his Buchou always says, there will be fans and there will be haters. They can't please everyone, especially those who see them as delinquents who use petty tactics, tricks and violence to win. Not everyone can understand. There will always be those people who will see him as a cruel, evil demon child.. and he'll just have to live with that. He doesn't have to explain himself to them.

He doesn't exactly remember what happens when he's in Demon mode, but his Senpai-tachi said it was okay and that he doesn't have to worry about it because they'll always be there to help him. Other people said he's a ruthless entity inside the courts who'd hurt his enemies just to win. It bugged him at first, but then he remembered his Senpai-tachi's promise and he calmed down. Kirihara trusts them like a child does. He knows they will handle the situation when things get out of control.. when HE'S out of control.

His black-outs are beginning to decline now, with the help of Yanagi. His Senpai had been training him, teaching him how to control his outbursts. He even told him that it's bad for his psychological something and that he should learn how to manage his anger. So the raven-haired boy had been trying really hard to be calm and patient, just like earlier, when he stopped himself from hurting those girls. Wow, he feels proud of himself. He's so going to tell his Buchou!

But then his thoughts froze, his body went rigid and his young heart began wildly pounding against his chest, just like how it did a day ago.. when he finally spotted a delicate-looking girl skipping lively to the courts. Happiness adorned her heart-shaped face, as if she was thinking of something nice. She was smiling genially, and Kirihara can't help but stare in awe. It felt weird and nice at the same time. Here she is now.. in front of him. And his damn heart thrashed with nervousness and.. something strange.

When suddenly, some banshee shouted and jumped on the auburn girl, making the seaweed head's eyes instantly widen in alarm, his protective instinct suddenly flaring to life. T-That girl just pounced on Ryuzaki, who's pregnant, DAMMIT! And without any warning, he felt himself tremble in anger and worry as he saw them almost fall down to the ground. Damn, damn, damn, she's going to-.. His feet automatically moved, and in a blink of an eye, he had the auburn-haired girl in his arms, mixed concern and ire evident on his face. Something inside him was raging, and his conscious self was starting to yield.

The pig-tailed girl was shocked to the core, as she stepped away for a bit when something red flashed in his eyes.. it scared her. While the auburn-haired girl was looking at him with her mouth agape, her chocolate brown orbs large and doe-like. And as the Rikkai ace darted his gaze towards the pig-tailed one, all his pent-up anger threatened to explode and his hands tightened around Sakuno. He was so angry.. Didn't she know what she could've done?! BLOODY HELL, she'd almost hurt her! That bint almost got the auburn head hurt and-..

"Thank you..", he heard the girl in his arms softly whisper and the gears in his head just stopped working. S-She thanked him? He slowly lowered his head to look at her, and was surprised to see her smiling at him gratefully, her orbs showing how genuine she was. "A-Arigatou."

And he was snapped awake. She's fine. Nothing bad happened to her, he told himself. She's fine.. and he calmed down. She's fine now.. She's fine now.. She's not hurt. He felt himself smile as well, relief making its way to his chest. He almost lost control there for a second. But she's fine now and that's all that matters. Phew, damn! But still, that bint was being too careless! He ought to teach her a lesson or two!

"OI!", without letting go of the'pregnant' girl, Kirihara bolted his head to the pig-tailed lass as he yelled at her, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, HUH? YOU COULD'VE HURT HER!", his volume made Tomoka take one more step back, confusion and panic filling her. Because one, she's sure this is Kirihara Akaya of Rikkaidai acting like a protective boyfriend and two, a group of people with familiar faces are coming! What the heck's happening here?! Then, the seaweed head took a deep breath then screamed, "SHE'S PREGNANT, DAMMIT!"

And the world screeched to a halt.

But the eerie silence was shattered by Fuji who spoke first with a very curious tone, "So Tezuka..", his cerulean blue eyes darkly gleamed with a promise of death and retribution as he stared at the arms holding Sakuno, his smile now non-existent and replaced with an expression of sinister nature, "..am I still not allowed to torture people?"

...

TBC

…

**A/N: Yes! At last! Yaaaay! Yosha! I finished it! Whoo! So what do you guys think for this chapter? Please, pretty please, leave a review before you go. Yeah, I totally broke my promise of updating faster but well, it's because when I was writing the Author's note for the 5****th**** chapter, I kinda forgot that the midterms are coming. Sorry 'bout that. Now, hell week's over and I can finally have more time to write. Please leave a review ne? The reviews from the last chap pumped me up, thanks a bunch, guys!**

**I wanted to write something about the prejudices people have of them. Especially Kirihara's and Atobe's. Have you guys seen the pairpuri episode where Kirihara helped Kawamura? I'm not saying he's totally innocent, but he was just so kind and helpful, so unlike the first impression I had of him. Atobe's gift showed Atobe's caring side. That was awesome. Marui's side story was not entirely about him, but it was really about Rikkai, because they were believed to be harsh at some point when they tried to use Kirihara's demon mode to win. How was it? **

**1. A Tenimyu reference, when Sanada asked Marui to stop chewing his gum.**

**2. Refers to those two episodes, Beach volleyball and Yakiniku episodes, where Inui's shorts got pulled and well.. Hello, little Inui.**

**3. Refers to the haunted racquet episode.**

**4. Refers to the season 1 episode when Kaidou got hit by a ball and had amnesia.**

**5. Refers to an episode when Kikumaru was supposed to meet the girl group but Inui was the one who saw them instead, he even got kissed.**

**6. Lastly, refers to the OVA Atobe's gift where Atobe threw a festival for the depressed Kabaji just to cheer him up. Sweet. **

**Now, here's the current poll:**

**Tezuka Kunimitsu- 15%**

**Yukimura Seiichi- 14%**

**Fuji Syusuke- 11%**

**Sanada Genichirou- 10%**

**Kirihara Akaya- 10%**

**Atobe Keigo- 9%**

**Shiraishi Kuranosuke- 7%**

**Niou Masaharu- 5%**

**Oshitari Yuushi- 4%**

**Marui Bunta- 3%**

**Shishido Ryou- 2%**

**Ootori Choutaro- 2%**

**Kikumaru Eiji- 1% **

**Tooyama Kintarou- 1%**

**There! RnR!**


	7. Kirihara's SOUE III

Chapter Seven:

Kirihara's series of unfortunate events (Part Three)

...

**I really miss my Senpai-tachi. They were the best big brothers a girl like me could ever ask for. They were like a big, solid wall of protection, ready to defend when one of their own is in danger. And at the same time, they can be warm and comforting, just like a blanket on a rainy night. They had varied personalities, views and opinions but the spirit of unity they formed transcended their differences. And I'm happy that I met them and that they treated me not just as their Coach's granddaughter nor a lowly Kouhai, but as a friend too. I never forgot the way they'd look at me worriedly everytime I plummeted to the ground, the way they'd gently chide me for not being careful, and the way they'd smile at me good-naturedly.**

**They have always been a part of me, even after all this time. Seigaku never left my heart.**

**...**

Well, this is a surprise.

There are always those days that just surprises the crap out of her when something unusual happens or when someone unexpected appears in front of her doorstep. And apparently, today is one of them. The famous Dragon Coach, Ryuzaki Sumire, in all her gray sweatshirt and red pants' glory, blinked cluelessly as she watched the tall silver-haired lad standing in front of her doorway, his baby face drained of all color and his brown eyes wide like saucers.

Eh, what's with him? And why is he sweating like that? Is he sick or what?

Shrugging it off and thinking that maybe he just didn't hear her, Sumire repeated slowly while releasing her hold on the gold-colored door knob and lifted it to point a finger at the pale boy. "You're.. Ootori Choutaro, aren't you?", she raised a questioning brow, curiosity deepening the crease on her wrinkled forehead.

But instead of getting a proper answer, her question just earned her a string of incoherent words, and when the lad seemed to have realized that he was stammering dumbly, he closed his mouth, gulped nervously, then opened it again to speak but words failed him and again, he closed and opened it repeatedly. The auburn-haired woman was vividly reminded of a goldfish in a fishbowl because of that. Nani, is it that hard to say a simple 'Yes'? The heck's wrong with this boy? What did he came here for, anyway? She wondered what this is all about..

While the Dragon coach was thinking to herself, Ootori was beginning to panic internally. Kami-sama, help! He didn't expect this.. He really didn't! Based on the data his Taki-senpai gave him, Ryuzaki Sumire is supposed to be in Seigaku to supervise the Tennis club, and Ryuzaki Sakuno doesn't have any club activities today so she should be home by now. Nande? He hadn't prepared himself for this.. Even though he knew that Sumire is indeed related to the girl, he assured himself with the fact that he won't come across her and the one who'd be opening the door is the younger Ryuzaki.

What if he tells the Coach about the ribbon? She will probably get suspicious of how he got his hands on her granddaughter's ribbon.. Or.. Or.. Oh, Kami. Sumire is famed for her ultra hot temper and ear-splitting voice, and he definitely doesn't want to experience it first-hand.

He just wanted to return Sakuno's ribbon, why make this hard, Kami-sama?

The old lady studied him from head to foot with a critical eye (making the Hyotei Sophomore feel more on edge and he shifted uneasily from foot to foot). This Ootori boy's okay in her book, actually. He's one of the nicer guys in Hyotei and very mild-mannered. And judging from that silver necklace with the cross-pendant around his neck, he's a religious lad, a goody two shoes. But what is he doing here? He's still donned in his white and gray Hyotei regular's jersey with a white shirt underneath. Don't they have practice today?

Ah, maybe Sakaki ordered him to deliver a message? But if it's only a message, then why does he look as if he was actually scared of her? What, does she look like she'll bite his head off?

Gulping once more, the silver-haired lad willed himself to relax and tried to manage a small smile. "A-Anou.. Eh.. Hai..", he answered while averting his eyes to the cemented ground. What did he get himself into? What will he say? Just because of a ribbon..

"Oh. Then, do you need something?", Sumire asked, being extra patient. She knows her aura is intimidating enough so she toned down her voice a bit for the obviously nervous boy. Maybe he's just naturally shy, like Sakuno? The thought of her adorable granddaughter inwardly made the Seigaku coach smile and sigh at the same time, the earlier ordeal she had with a certain person flashing in her mind. Aitsu, she will definitely throw that woman's garbage out of her house, no matter what Sakuno says. "I didn't expect to see you here. Did Sakaki ask you to see me?"

The boy quickly shook his head, his mind racing. No, he can't involve their Coach! Should he tell her about the ribbon? Should he just give it to her? For sure she will return it to Sakuno for him. Ootori inserted a clammy hand into his right pocket and gently rubbed the pink fabric with both his thumb and index finger, pondering if he really should just give it to Sumire.

"No? Then, what is it?"

Should he.. just give it to her and leave? This is what he came here for, right? To give back the ribbon to its rightful owner? So, he can just give it to the Seigaku Coach and leave. He should just return Sakuno's ribbon, ne?

"S-Sa.."

"Eh?"

Should he? This way will be easier, right?

"S-Sa.. Sa.. Eto..", he sheepishly placed his other hand on his nape, frustrated with himself and embarrassed at the same time. "S-Sa-.."

Sumire slightly frowned. She still has to clean up the storage room but this stuttering mess of a boy is taking way too much of her time. What's so hard with saying what he needs from her anyways? It's not as if he's asking for her granddaughter's hand in marriage. "What is it? Just say it alread-.."

"S-Sa-..", a pause then Ootori finally said in a hurry.. "SUGAR!", with a look of surprise on his features, as if he too didn't expect himself to say that. Well, he really didn't.

"Eh?", the Seigaku coach's frown disappeared and was replaced by a look of sheer confusion. He came all this way just to ask her for sugar? He was stuttering just because of sugar? Sugar? Then the confusion in her brown eyes (that really resembled Sakuno's, the silver-haired boy noted) melted away as realization began to sink to her. Oh, she gets it now. "Say, are you the boy Endo-san was talking about?"

This time, it was Ootori who wore the same confused look Sumire had. "W-What..?"

"He told me yesterday that a new family transferred down the block, and he mentioned a teenage boy who's probably the couple's son. So, I take it you're our new neighbors?", Sumire peered at him with a kind smile, the wrinkles on her face lightening up. Of course, why would anyone who lives far away from them would ask for some sugar? A friendly lad, Endo Kotarou, who came a day ago to deliver their newspaper, told her about the new bunch he saw carrying furnitures to a house that had been up for rent. She didn't expect it to be the Ootori's though. Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to be kind to her new neighbors, ne? It seems like they ran out of sugar and it's only logical that he'd ask her for some, since he's new here and she's the only one he's familiar with in this neighborhood. "Heck, you should've said so earlier that you just needed some sugar! Alright, wait here. I'll get you some." And Sumire quickly whirled around and went back inside, her head shaking in amusement. Why did he have to stammer and get flustered just because of such a trivial thing? She never thought she'd see someone as meek as her granddaughter.

Ootori just stood there, dumbfounded. Wait, what? What did he just say? Sugar? Why SUGAR? What's wrong with him?! Of all things, why sugar?! What just happened?! And oh, Kami. She mistook him for their new neighbor! Even though he hadn't said anything to confirm that, he felt like a liar. A big, stinky liar. Frankly, he hates lying to other people but now, he just did. And although he knows it's morally wrong, he can't help but feel relief, he didn't know what to do and she-.. Oh no. Sorry for being a liar, Kami-sama.

But the Coach believed him.. God, that was a close call. He almost said Sakuno's name!

The silver-haired lad knows he could have just given the ribbon to Sumire, he really could've just done that. It would've been less troublesome and a tad faster. He could've just said 'I have your granddaughter's school ribbon and I just dropped by to return it', explain how he got it and leave, but he didn't.

Because, truth be told, he wanted to give it to Sakuno personally.

It was weird but he really did, so at the last second, he clumsily blurted out the first word that came to his mind that started with letter 'S' and it was, 'SUGAR!'. He really didn't think she'd believe it but she did, and he felt bad! He's really sorry for lying but the situation called for it. Sorry, Kami-sama. Demo.. is Sakuno home already? She should be, right? Maybe she's just inside? Should he ask the Dragon Coach? Oh no. Nope, no, no, no, she will chew him out. The Dragon Coach will eat him alive and spit his bones out!

'WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH MY SAKUNO?!'

Mou, what should he do? Should he just wait for her to come out the door later or call it a day and try again next time?

The sound of footsteps tapping against the wooden floor pulled Ootori from his thoughts and his gaze went to the approaching auburn-haired woman carrying a brown paper bag of sugar with her. Kami, he feels guilty for lying to the Coach. She's actually nice and he lied to her. LIAR.

"Here's your sugar, Ootori-san."

"A-Arigatou." He's positive that his face is burning red. May Kami-sama forgive him.

"It's nothing. That's what neighbors are for, ne?"

Oh, God. He feels so guilty now. The silver-haired boy gave her a polite bow of gratitude before bidding his goodbye and stiffly turning around. He started to walk away, exiting the property with his hands clutching the paper bag close to him. But when the sound of the door closing shut reached his ears, he halted and went straight to an oak tree located a few feet away to the left of the Ryuzaki residence.

What did he just do?! And what is he doing here, eyeing the humble house like a creepy stalker?! Ootori sighed to himself with deference. Guess there's no turning back now and he'll just have to wait for the auburn head to walk out of that door. All this trouble just because of a ribbon.

...

Sanada had his arms folded in front of him the entire time, his face grim with annoyance and his eyes seething into molten lava, it almost bored a hole through the car windows. And because he was not wearing his beloved black baseball cap (all four of the Rikkai regulars were still in their blue-green school uniforms), there was nothing to cover his dark expression from everyone's line of vision.

If only they didn't need to get to Seigaku faster, he would never ever accept this 'generous act of benevolence and charity by Ore-sama' and he'd gladly rub it to that pompous and self-centered Diva's smirking face. Really, he'd love to wipe, no-.. scrub with a metal brush that haughty smirk off him and give him a piece of his mind. That vain Atobe's acting like he won some unspoken competition between them when they entered his 'sleek car that is truly a marvel of design', yapping about how lucky they were that he spotted them with his 'remarkably sharp, ever omnipresent eyes'.

God. How hard is it to just say 'Eyes' without adding overly dramatic adjectives?

He hates how superficial people like Atobe are. Their materialistic, theatrical and superfluous ways are just too much for him, who was raised with the belief that there is more to life than fame and fortune, to stomach. His upbringing taught him of the true beauty of the things that cannot be seen by the naked eye, but clearly, Atobe has a completely different view. Way different than his, they're like raging fire and frozen ice, two elements of opposite nature. And the collision of the two will only result to the fire dying into nothingness or the ice melting to water before evaporating into mist. Sanada and Atobe.

The Emperor outright refused his offer at first, but Atobe insisted that since he's going to the same destination anyway, he won't mind to 'Let the poor commoners ride his limousine of pristine class' then added almost as an afterthought, 'This is your first time to ride one, ahn?', while smirking condescendingly, which made a vein pulse on his forehead. Kuso. Where's his Katana when he needs it? He should've brought it today. Or anything.. just anything that can inflict bodily pain.

And even though Atobe's arrogant tone irked them too, his teammates coaxed Sanada into conceding, with Yanagi saying that they HAVE to or Kirihara will be in trouble then Yukimura will surely use on them every single medieval torturing-technique he has and he'll probably rob them not only of their senses, but their sanity as well. The Brazilian sputtered in shock by the Datamaster's statement but he just answered, 'Data never lies' before closing the door of the car on his side. He even pointed out the high probability of Niou making a large profit out of it by selling their stuff to the highest bidder, with Yukimura's permission. The last time they pissed the Child of God, he gladly gave the Trickster Sanada's hat that was sold for a price that was worth their club's budget for half a year. And the very disgruntled Fukubuchou could do nothing but buy himself a new one begrudgingly, his shoulders slumped. Poor him.

Damn it. And now, after 20 damning minutes and a damn headache, Sanada's still stuck in a car with three traitors, a silent giant and a self-proclaimed King. Great. Just great. Why in the hell did he agree to this?

"Akaya, you're a dead person when I get my hands on you..", he hissed to himself, issuing everyone in the spacious limo a narrow-eyed glare. Yanagi, who seated himself beside him, just sighed in resignation, Yagyuu hastily adjusted his opaque glasses up the bridge of his aristocratic nose and Jackal averted his eyes away from him, shrinking backwards to the expensive, leather-covered seat. Kabaji, who sat across him and beside the Hyotei Buchou, merely glanced, his face passive as always.

Sanada's obvious distaste only heightened Atobe's satisfaction, and he drawled lazily, "Seems like you're in a rather foul mood today, ahn? It's no wonder you look older than a normal middle schooler." And when his Rikkai rival only turned his glare at him but bit back a retort, the King just plastered a shrewd smirk in return. For sure, it's only the years of training and self-discipline Sanada had that is keeping him from saying something offending. After all, isn't it customary to be polite to those who show you kindness?

Ah, the joys of ticking off a rival. Invigorating. There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of your fellow man.

No one wanted to comment on what Atobe just said, so he spoke again while eyeing them intently, "So.. what brings you here in Kantou? And more importantly, Seigaku?", he casually leaned back on his chair, legs crossed regally. He was still wearing his full school uniform, unlike Kabaji who already had his brown coat neatly folded inside his bag. "A proposal for a practice match, perhaps? Or are you all getting friendly now?"

"The business we have here doesn't concern you, Atobe. Make somebody happy and mind your own." Sanada's point-blank reply made his teammates tense and Atobe's right eyebrow to arch in a challenging manner.

"Oh? Ore-sama was merely trying to start a conversation. Right, Kabaji?"

"Usu."

"It doesn't give you the privilege to pry on other people's matte-.."

"But..", the Gentleman interrupted Sanada mid-word, his polite facade in place as he tried to salvage the situation, "..we are thankful for your kind deed. We were in a fix and you came just in time, Atobe-kun." Like Sanada, he was nonplussed to be in the same car as the Hyotei King but it will never do them any good to make an enemy out of him. Besides, they really needed to make haste, they've wasted a lot of time already and who knows what happened to Kirihara in Seigaku? Curse Niou for screwing up with the kid's already messed up mind. And the subject of Reproduction for being such a complicated topic to explain. He himself had trouble with it when he was younger, and it was a memory he'd rather forget.

"Of course. Ore-sama's kindness shall extend to destitutes such as yourself."

Yagyuu suddenly wanted to stab him with a fork. Him, a destitute? So much for being polite and courteous to this assho-.. He stopped himself. You're a gentleman. You shall not swear. You shall not be affected. Count to ten, breathe deeply then nod. That's it. You're not like Niou. No matter how much he irritates you, just relax-..

Atobe continued as he flicked a strand of silver hair away from his grey eyes, "Honestly, Ore-sama's easy to get along with once you commoners learn how to worship Ore-sama."

Asshole. Yagyuu's glasses glinted. He'd love to answer that with a biting one but unfortunately, they're in his car. He used to think of Atobe as a pompous, self-absorbed schmuck. But now, he has a much lower opinion of him.

Jackal, who noticed the sudden twitch of two of his teammates, wanted to do a double face-palm, because only one just won't be enough. Atobe's not as bad as people say; he is much, much worse. Seriously, worship? He should go seek medical help and have his big head checked. Maybe he was dropped and got a concussion when he was a baby.

Atobe droned on and on about 'hapless commoners, unfortunate destitutes, victims of poverty and people at the bottom of the food chain' with feigned sympathy, making Sanada and Yagyuu twitch every five seconds. In that limo, the two experienced a lifetime's worth of twitches. Jackal rubbed his temples exasperatedly and Yanagi mentally jotted everything he heard and saw. Ii Data.

The Datamaster can see that Atobe really enjoys getting a rise from other people, and he was not oblivious to the fact that his words are certainly grinding on other people's nerves yet he continues. In his twisted world, it seems he finds their annoyance entertaining. So this is his sense of humor, huh? And aside from that, it also appears he believes everything he says. He absolutely thinks of himself as someone from a higher pinnacle than them, a gift of God to mankind.

A sure sign of Superiority complex. But he wondered.. what could've caused this King's complex? It was fairly evident that he cares for his friends and teammates. He takes them out on costly trips, treats them to extravagant food and doesn't mind them hanging around him. And they don't mind hanging around Atobe too, when in the first place they could've just ignored him and maintain only a 'Captain-teammates' relationship. They're not after what the Hyotei King could give them because they're rich too, they go to Hyotei after all. Which tells Yanagi that maybe they just got used to their Captain's quirks or in a very deep level, they understand him. There's more to the bond of the Hyotei regulars than meets the eye, since they can simply overlook this rather provoking flaw of their Buchou. They're much closer than he initially thought.

But to other people, Atobe becomes this narcissistic egoist who'd constantly remind them of how far above he is. In Alfred Adler's Individual theory, most people who possess Superiority complex are people afraid of Inferiority. Atobe afraid of being inferior? Why?

His seemingly closed eyes then landed on the Hyotei Sophomore beside Atobe, who just kept watch. Yanagi suddenly wondered how Kabaji can bear to be in the presence of such a vile individual. But then, according to his data, the Gentle giant has been a friend of Atobe for many years now. They've known each other even when they were in England. The Master made a contemplative hum as he observed them, and finally concluded that Kabaji is wiser and understands more than he let on. Under those apathetic eyes is a person who knows a lot about Atobe than most people do. Maybe.. he knows the Diva more than Atobe knows himself.

Just when Sanada reached his boiling point and was about to say something about 'an appalling Diva who got beat by a Freshman twerp, had his hair shaved because of it and wore a stupid wig after', the car smoothly pulled to a curb and Atobe's announcement made all of the Rikkai regulars perk up, look outside the car window and into the vast school where the Middle School Tennis National Champions this year attend.

"We're finally here."

...

Seigaku..

Dan Taichi, clad in a white long-sleeved Yamabuki uniform, gaped in shock as the events unfolded from the other side of the court. Earlier today, his Senpai, Sengoku Kiyosumi, dragged him to visit Seigaku for his weekly 'Bird-watching', reasoning that there are a lot of cute chicks in the said school. The head band-wearing kid tried to tell him that if he really wanted a chick, he should just get one from the Pet shop near their school but the Yamabuki Senior just ruffled his black hair and proceeded to kidnap him. Dan could never understand why they should go all the way to Seigaku just to see some 'Birds'. But after a few minutes of arriving, his Senpai suddenly exclaimed, "Lucky! Cute chicks!" before running off and leaving him.

Sengoku-senpai is really weird, he thought. There weren't any chicks around them! So, as usual, whenever he's in Seigaku, he opted to visit the Tennis club. It was a nice, sunny day so they're probably training again. It's fun to watch them.

But he didn't expect to see Kirihara Akaya of Rikkaidai there, nor did he expect him to shout about that auburn-haired girl's pregnancy, attracting a lot of people. It's like the world stopped and everyone just turned to look at them. The people who were just strolling by suddenly went to them to have a look, fangirls and fanboys started gasping aloud and whispering, the regulars and non-regulars were all in a state of shock!

Chotto matte, isn't that the shy and nice girl who hung around a lot Echizen when he was still here in Japan? W-W-What does this mean? Pregnant? Demo, didn't she have a crush on the Prince of Tennis? So, how? Ah! Maybe Echizen is the.. But that's impossible. But who knows?! Gah, the Seigaku coach is her grandmother, right? Scary! But.. But.. If it's not Echizen, then who? She looked really young to be a mom though. And Dan didn't really expect this. Maybe she was just too in love? Or.. maybe this is all just a misunderstanding?

"HOOOOOORA! GODDAMMIT, WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAKUNO, YOU-.."

Then he saw Kawamura storm angrily towards Kirihara, and then there was a lot of shouting, courtesy of Momo and Kaidou who were both livid. And Fuji was really looking scary, the Yamabuki Databoy nervously gulped. What's going on?! Eh.. Stop right there. They're all on to Kirihara! Does that mean he's..

WAAAH!

The sound of his phone ringing in his pocket made the black-haired little boy stop in his logical deduction. He fumbled with it before his gaze went across the screen, only to see that the number calling him was owned by.. "Ah, Mizuki-san, desu?", and he answered it, astonished as to why someone like Mizuki would call him, not knowing that the St. Rudolph Dataman was aiming for one thing: To gather information about Ryuzaki Sakuno from all Datamen. Of course, with Mizuki's subtle manipulation, he blurted out that he was indeed, in Seigaku and that some sort of trouble was happening. It didn't fail to pique Mizuki's interest, he was actually ecstatic.

"Nfu~ Mind to share that piece of information with me, Dan-kun? After all, we are both Datamen. And who better to rely on than each other, ne?", his voice was sickeningly sweet.

"Y-You consider me a Dataman too, desu?"

"Of course, Dan-kun! And I strongly believe that the path you chose, being a Dataman, will lead you to success in the world of Tennis! Maybe even as successful as me!"

The naive little boy, who was sincerely happy to know that someone like Mizuki sees him as a Dataman already, nodded vigorously and told the hair-twirling Manager about everything that he saw. That led to..

"PREGNANT?!"

"Hai, Mizuki-san, desu. But I'm still not sure though and maybe it was just a-.. Ah!", the blue phone was all of a sudden pulled from his grasp, and when Dan spun around, he was welcomed by the sight of his orange-haired Senpai, smiling thinly at him while waggling a finger, the phone held by his other hand.

Sengoku raised it near his mouth and intoned, "Sorry, the number you dialled is out of coverage area. But don't bother to call later." And he ended the call despite Mizuki's indignant protests from the other end. He shot his Kouhai a serious look, "Oi, Dan, what were you doing while your Senpai was away, eh?", then heaved a small sigh and gave back the phone to the startled Freshman. "You shouldn't trust people that easily."

"Are? But Mizuki-san was just asking me about Seigaku, desu.. and he sounded really nice."

A hand rested above the young Dataman's black mop of hair, "But not everyone who sounds nice over the phone is really nice in person, 'kay? Besides, if he wants to investigate Seigaku, let him see for himself. Now, let's go join the riot over there!", Sengoku grinned widely as he pulled his Kouhai with him. But even though he was grinning, it didn't quite reach his light-blue eyes. He didn't trust that Mizuki guy from St. Rudolph, and he doesn't want his innocent Kouhai to get involved with that gossip mongrel. If Akutsu was here, he'd surely be furious. If Mizuki wants to keep his balls, he should stay away from the kid.

He could only hope that whatever Dan said to him won't bring a lot of problem to Seigaku, especially to the cute girl in question.

...

And the world screeched to a halt.

But the eerie silence was shattered by Fuji who spoke first with a very curious tone, "So Tezuka..", his cerulean blue eyes darkly gleamed with a promise of death and retribution as he stared at the arms holding Sakuno, his smile now non-existent and replaced with an expression of sinister nature, "..am I still not allowed to torture people?"

The words escaped the brunette's lips before he could even think twice about it, before he could even stop them. It just came automatically out of a sudden impulse, almost instinctive, as soon as his gaze laid on the two figures who were caught in a position that Fuji very much didn't find pleasant, with the raven-haired boy's arms wrapped tightly around the petite auburn head's waist, a hint of a blush, due to shock and embarrassment, now slowly working unto her cheeks as she registered what the Seaweed head just screamed to the world. Then her light blush came full force and she reddened from her hairline to where her blouse met her delicate neck.

Fuji unconsciously curled his hand.

The unwanted scene perturbed him in a lot of strange and uncomfortable ways and he'd really like it if Kirihara just keeps his hands to himself, preferably a good distance away from the girl. It sent a myriad of unfamiliar and unnamed emotions whirling in his system, making his genius of a brain reel due to confusion. Because he knew he is a protective person by nature, overprotective even, but there was something aside from that compulsion of protectiveness he felt that he couldn't put a finger on. And for someone like him, who was hailed as a Tensai in such a young age, not knowing things just doesn't sit well with him. But for the meantime, he'll set this aside and focus on the more important problem at hand: Sakuno. And her apparent 'Pregnancy'.

Oh. He's feeling just a little bit homicidal now.

His cold and dangerous remark made a lot of eyes snap abruptly to him (especially the non-regulars who have had a taste of his dark humor before while the fangirls were dumbstruck to see him like that), some of them showing a healthy amount of fear and frozen disbelief. A few even took cautious steps away from him to steer clear, just in case. The wintry mask he wore was a patent indication that a head will definitely roll. Specifically, a head owned by one Kirihara Akaya. This is not good.

However, the other regulars, even after hearing what Fuji just said, didn't flinch nor scamper away like how they'd usually do whenever he'd utter something about death threats in his deceptively calm voice, radiating waves of sadism and dark intent. Instead, their faces were contorted into various expressions of disbelief, perplexion and suspiciousess. What in the world is that Kirihara saying? By the looks of it, it seems Sakuno was just as befuddled as they were! And how, pray tell, would he even know about that if ever it was true? He's from Rikkaidai which is in damn KANAGAWA, for God's sake! As far as they know, their Kouhai is not that close to any of the Rikkai guys! Simply preposterous! How would he?! And it's just impossible for him to-.. Unless he himself is..

As if all their thoughts were along the same line, the regulars (save for Tezuka, who was giving his glasses a weary nudge, his left eyebrow having a spasm, and Inui, whose head was alternately turning from his teammates to the Rikkai ace with an expression of mild alarm) stiffened immediately. Good God.

Then Momo started squawking wildly, his violet eyes bugging out of their sockets as he struggled for coherency. It appears he found himself incapable of speaking properly, and he just ended up releasing choking sounds. W-W-What about ECHIZEN?! AND WHA-.. JUST..- THE HECK?! Does that mean.. H-He impregnated..- No, he can't do that to their cute Kouhai, the Spiky-haired Sophomore declared internally. He certainly can't do that. And his eyes hardened.

Kaidou had the word SHOCK written all over his face, but unlike Momo, he recovered from it much faster and mustered a dark scowl. He balled his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white, as he clenched his jaw in barely-leashed fury. His green eyes quickly roamed their surroundings, and seeing that there were many students around (half of them were whispering excitedly to their peers as their gazes darted towards the auburn head, and the other half had their phones out, as if they were already spreading this new hot gossip), his scowl deepened. This Kirihara guy's ruining her reputation! Didn't that stupid jerk realize the damn gravity of what he just screamed to half of the Seigaku populace?! Sakuno's self-appointed guardian gave the onlookers a glare that had the fires of hell blazing in them, and just as expected, they squirmed away in fear and self-preservation.

While Oishi, on the other hand, had his cheeks flaming a deep shade of crimson. He was red to the roots of his hair that was barely even there. PREGNANT?! WHAT?! But they're just kids, KIDS! How will they support the baby? What about the hospital bills, even the educational plans they will have to provide?! How will they be able to give food, clothes and shelter for the child when they themselves hadn't even finished schooling yet? How will they be able to pay for the College tuition fee of their baby in the future if they won't be able to have a job?! This is a huge problem! How did they even learn about doing.. that kind of.. stuff? Heavens, what's happening to the youth of today?! Nonetheless, he will do what he can, everything he can, to help his young Kouhai, maybe he can suggest a trust fund for the baby? Oh, maybe he can ask his parents if they can help Sakuno in the medical aspect of her pregnancy, they're doctors afterall! Oh God, this is just too unexpected! But then, when he glanced at the petite girl, he can't help but be skeptical. She's a nice, little girl. All through the year, she did nothing but support the team and help her Obaa-chan with all her might. Could she really..? N-No. He didn't think so. And.. it seems inconceivable. But if it's true, then he will do what he can to be of help.

As his doubles partner continued his mental lamentations, Kikumaru was unexpectedly and unusually silent beside him. It was odd to see the normally-hyper Acrobat being all reticent. His blue orbs were wide, blank and distant, as his brain was yet to process the information he just heard. It was as if his central nervous system just ceased to function and he stood there, feeling strangely empty and kinda numb. It was weird, really, especially when his gaze subtly slid to the boy holding his favorite human teddy bear and honest confusion flashed in his blue eyes.

Kawamura, who was standing nearest to Kirihara, had his light-brown eyebrows furrowed in extreme bafflement. Of course not! Their sweet, meek Kouhai can never do something that will ultimately disappoint her grandmother. No, she can never do that. She's just too young, he thought. He was a bit scandalized but he trusts his impression of her, just like how he trusts his impression of his friend, Akutsu. She will never do such a thing. If only he had his racquet, maybe he could knock some sense into that Rikkai lad-.. No, no, no! What is he thinking? Violence is never the answer! He tried to calm them down, saying that they should at least let Kirihara explain but then Horio came running to him with a racquet and-..

"HOOOOOORA! GODDAMN, WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAKUNO, YOU-.."

And that's when everything went haywire and just fell into a downward spiral, as an explosion of voices followed suit, a flustered Sakuno right in the middle of it.

"Oi, what the HELL do you think are you doing, KIRIHARA?!", Momo practically spat, glaring heatedly. He is a believer in true love, and he will not let this sorry-excuse-for-a human to destroy everything between his two Kouhai! The Ichinen trio who were behind him jumped, startled while Kirihara returned his intense glare as he tightened his arm around Sakuno in instinct, thinking that he shouldn't let the pregnant girl near someone who might hurt her. It didn't escape Momo's notice. The Seaweed monster held her as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world! He's so with Fuji on this one, torture him! "Let go of her, you dolt!"

With utter defiance, Kirihara retorted back, making the auburn-haired girl in his arms squeak, "Shut up, prickhead! This is none of your busine-.."

"TEME! WHAT DID YOU-"

"Calm down, Kaidou! Stop that, Taka-san! Oi, Momo, Don't! You might hurt him!"

"That's the point!"

Knowing what this is all about (he'd been informed by his bestfriend, Yanagi), Inui stepped forward and tried, "Minna, just plea-.."

"UNFORGIVABLEEE! I'LL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!"

Oh, for the effin' love of God.

...

Shitenhouji..

Shiraishi was sitting on the solid ground with a leg bent upwards, chugging down on his bottle of water while wiping the sweat off his forehead with a white towel. The team just finished their laps and everyone was taking a short rest before commencing the practice matches. The sun felt good on his skin, and he was starting to relax and close his greyish brown eyes when a loud screech startled him and the rest. He groaned.

"YOU'RE GOING TO TOKYO?! EEEEEEH! ZAIZEN, BRING ME WITH YOU!", the redheaded Freshman bounced on his feet with a huge, toothy grin on his face, his big golden eyes gazing at his Senpai hopefully. The two were standing beside the fence, that separated the courts from the main school grounds, just a few steps away from him. Shiraishi eyed the clearly miffed Sophomore.. Tokyo? He's going to Tokyo?

"No."

"WHY?! ZAIZEN! I WANNA SEE THAT SUPERHERO KENYA AND SHIRAISHI WERE TALKING ABOUT! I TRIED TO CALL HIM BUT HE WON'T ANSWER HIS PHONE!", Kin-chan tightly grabbed the older boy's left arm and wildly shook it, his features once again transforming into that lonely, kicked and beaten puppy dog look. Aww.

The Shitenhouji Buchou only sighed in amused exasperation while Kenya, who was seated next to him, snickered evilly, enjoying his Kouhai and his cousin's predicaments. Life is good. Really good. Ishida idly stood by, bracing himself for another round of loud voices and loony scenes. Koharu was standing behind Shiraishi (he will never sit on the ground, no way! That is unbecoming for a maiden!), his lips stretched into a grin as he observed the conversation. While several feet away from him was Yuuji, who was all by himself while eating some banana (that just came out of nowhere) with a look of longing in his eyes. 'Koharuuuuuu..'

Zaizen mentally groaned as he tried to resist the pull of the good ol' puppy pout. Must. Not. Give. In. "NO." He's a sucker for puppy dog looks but he will not be swayed this time. No!

"ZAIZEEEEEEEEN! COME ON!"

"How about never? Is never good enough for you? And let go of my arm, you're pulling it out of its socket. I can't exactly play Tennis without my arm, you know." How he hates puppy dog looks. He really hates puppy dog looks. Puppy dog looks should be banned and illegal.

"ZAIZEN, I WANNA GO TO TOKYO TOO!"

And it continued on for some time, with Zaizen refusing repeatedly and Kin-chan begging him while pulling on his arm. The Gay genius placed a finger on his chin with a smile. He already knew about Zaizen's upcoming trip to Tokyo, of course, via the little bug he placed in the Shitenhouji Sophomore's room. Useful li'l transmitter. It seems a friend of his, Kawasumi Bishin, invited him to watch a contest (Battle of the Bands, he heard) where his band is one of the participants. And as expected, Zaizen, being the music lover that he is, agreed. This will be a good chance for their Kouhai to improve his rotten social skills!

"Koharu..", the Gay genius heard a pitiful cry behind him and his mouth went into a thin line. He harrumph-ed and twirled around gaily (pun intended) to see Yuuji standing there with a peeled banana and a look of utter sadness that made his chest ache painfully, oh dear. While their teammates who were distracted from watching Zaizen and Kin-chan's entertaining talk rolled their eyes in annoyance. Here goes another drama-filled, chick-flick moment by the Baka pair. Popcorn, anyone?

Koharu tilted his chin to stop himself from shedding a tear, biting down his lips and his eyes tightly shut. He can do this. A lady should not give in easily. Let him work hard for his forgiveness! Go, girl power, make him kneel! So he heaved a long, audible breath and spoke with fake nonchalance (Oh, how it pained him so), "What is it, Hitoji-san?"

Urk! And Yuuji's heart was pierced by the merciless spear of despair and broken dreams (..wet dreams, he corrected). He staggered back a bit, before regaining his footing and whispered in his heart, 'Be strong, Yuuji, be strong for the both of you!' then mustered all the strength left in his whole body to mutter lovingly, "Please forgive me.. Koharu."

"Why should I when you dared steal my balls?"

"They're not your balls. They're the club's balls, EVERYONE'S BALLS!"

Shiraishi and the others twitched.

"Those balls are mine!"

"Please Koharu, let's just kiss and make-out?"

God, no. The Bible fought down the bile in his throat while Kenya whispered with a disgusted face, "Ugh. Isn't it 'Kiss and make-up'?"

"You will not be forgiven that easily~!"

"Let's just make it even, my beloved Koharu. I touched your balls so here, you can touch my banana."

"WILL YOU TWO JUST QUIT IT?!"

"But I really do have a banana, you green-minded people!"

While with Zaizen and Kin-chan..

"Sorry, but I think you're mistaking me for someone who gives a damn. Who let you out of your cage anyway-.. Itai!", Zaizen made a face and tried to pry his Kouhai's unexpectedly strong hands off of his arm (that was starting to go numb) but the redhead wouldn't even budge. The sleeve of his light green and yellow jacket's gonna be ruined if he keeps this up. Ugh, he should've never told him about his coming trip to Tokyo. What a pain. "Kin-chan, how many times do I have to flush you before you go away?"

The red-haired boy had all of a sudden stopped (but still didn't let go) and stared at him with child-like curiosity, "Flush? Me?"

The attention of their teammates (even Yuuji who was gladly giving his banana to a happy Koharu) went back to them. Unable to control it any longer, Kenya's sniggers boomed in volume and became an all-out boisterous laugh. He knows how frustrated Zaizen gets everytime he says something sarcastic and Kin-chan doesn't get it, because he will have to explain and sarcasm isn't funny anymore if he has to explain. The Sophomore genius just issued his bleached-haired Senpai a hot glare before turning back to the boy who latched on to his arm like a damn clingy koala.

"With your IQ, I don't think you'd understand."

"Eh?!", but then Zaizen tried to take advantage of his Kouhai's moment of naivety and successfully extracted himself from the Jungle boy's hold before distancing himself with a fast, agile jump backwards, "OI, ZAIZEN! ZAIZEEEEEEN!"

"Shiraishi-senpai, scare him off, will you?!", dodging Kin-chan's grab, the black-haired Sophomore made a run for it, with the Freshman following in close pursuit.

"ZAIZEEEEEEEEN! I WANNA GO TOO! I WANNA SEE ONIGIRI-HIMEEEEEE!"

Koharu and Yuuji, who were grinning at each other for an act well done (that they did just for the sake of creeping them out), instantly straightened up as soon as they heard what Kin-chan said, their eyes simultaneously amplifying in surprise.

...

Ootori heaved a deep, calming breath before letting his knuckles lightly hit the surface of the door(a door that was really simple, in his opinion, since he's used to seeing grand ones, like Atobe's, Oshitari's and of course, like his. If Gakuto was there, he'd surely comment on how crappy it was.

But he liked the homey atmosphere the house has, so unlike the huge mansions he'd been to that seemed to be too cold), just enough to make a sound and attract the attention of whoever is inside. Surely, this time, it will be the younger Ryuzaki who will open the door, ne? She's home, right? He hoped so. He really hoped so.

Again, he knocked on the door when no answer came. He left the paper bag beside the old Oak tree where he stood to wait awhile ago, he can't bring it with him. Ah, ants might get to it! Why didn't he think about that? Oh well, there's nothing he can do now. For the umpteenth time, he repeated in his head the words he will say to her, making sure that he won't mess up. Kami-sama, why is he so nervous? He's just going to return a ribbon! Why is he feeling jittery? It's just a ribbon! He wished his heart would stop pounding so much like that, it's very uncomfortable.

But then, the knob started to turn and he fixed his stare at it. This is it, he told himself. And his heart pounded more. And more. Until he thought it's getting hard to breathe. Then he felt his cheeks become hot. Flaming hot like never before, he thought he was going to spontaneously combust. His grip on the pink ribbon inside his pocket tightened, seeking for comfort. He can do this. He can do-..

"Are? Ootori-san..?", said a familiar voice and he hurriedly bolted his head up, only to see Sumire looking at him curiously, a hand holding the other knob of the widely opened door, her other hand holding a small brown box. Behind her were bigger ones littering the floor, some were even opened, meaning she was sorting through it. There were many boxes, but no Sakuno.

This is getting awkward.

His mind went completely blank. Again? All that nervousness for nothing? Kami-sama, what's happening here? Why..? Is she sleeping? Maybe.. Or she's in the kitchen? Or maybe..

The old woman knitted her brows together as she watched his face fall with a dejected air around him. "May I help you, Ootori-san?", she asked. What could it be this time?

Oh, Kami.

"S-Sugar..?"

He guess he's going to have to try again later.

...

St. Rudolph..

"Pregnant?", Mizuki restlessly paced inside the wide clubroom, his black hair in disarray due to his hand brushing through it repeatedly and his eyes manic. If one would look closer, he looked like someone who just discovered the biggest mystery on earth while on drugs. P.O.T, for example. "PREGNANT?! I knew it! I got it all figured out! I knew it, nfu!"

The mahogany door swung open and a group of boys wearing the white and brown St. Rudolph regular's jerseys filed in with quizzical expressions on their faces. Yuuta threw him a weirded side-glance, before shrugging and going straight to the corner of the room where he left his spare racquet. Whatever craziness this is, he didn't want to know. He questioned Mizuki's mentality a lot of times before but now, he decided to just ignore it, they're going to High school soon anyway so he shouldn't bother.

The Manager still continued on walking back and forth, muttering under his breath and making permanent marks on the polished floor. His teammates exchanged a few wary glances. So.. he's in one of his episodes again? Go figure. Just when they were about to leave, his voice increased significantly in volume and they all heard, "SHE'S PREGNANT!"

That made everyone stop in their tracks and jolt their heads back to him, even Yuuta. Mizuki's sanity has left the building.. again.

With a raised brow, the tanned Captain, Akazawa Yoshirou, slowly stepped towards him, albeit a bit cautious. He scanned Mizuki's face critically for a minute before finally saying the one question he'd always wanted to ask, "Have you lost your mind or something, Mizuki?"

The Manager abruptly whipped his gaze to him and answered with a scoff, "Last time I checked, no."

"Then check again."

Mizuki huffed indignantly before crossing his arms, "Remember when I asked for your opinion? Me neither! So shut your trap, BA-KA-ZA-WA." And he smiled triumphantly when he saw the Captain narrow his eyes at him, while Kaneda Ichirou, who was the one who coined the term 'Bakazawa' during their match against Seigaku many moons ago, rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Then who's pregnant, dane?", said Yanagizawa Shinya, the duck look-alike, in query as he strode towards the crazed-eye Mizuki, their teammates tailing after him except for Yuuta who stayed rooted to his spot by the door, quietly contemplating if he should risk his sanity and listen or just leave for his safety and miss out. "You got someone pregnant, dane?"

"He's straight?", someone uttered audibly, although when Mizuki looked around, he didn't find who said that. So he shall remain nameless.

"Not me, you simpletons!", Mizuki said in pure outrage. "But I am straight, thank you very much!"

"You sure?"

"Okay, who the hell said that?", the Manager demanded, but no one gave him a response and kept silent.

Akazawa went to sit on a wooden desk beside the white-framed window and casually uttered, "You guys, he's straight. He's been having a crush on Yuuta's sister for a long time now." Revenge is sweet, isn't it?

At that, blood instantly shot up to Mizuki's head and his face flushed so much, his teammates briefly thought he'd explode while Yuuta's jaws suddenly dropped to the ground, his brown eyes wide with shock. Oh no, he won't let it. He won't! His Nee-san's too kind, too sweet! He won't let her fall for some hair-twirling psycho! No, he can't let her marry this guy and have 'Nfu'-muttering, diabolic, curly-haired devil spawns!

"YOU WHAAAAAT?!"

"Then who's pregnant?", the other half of the Kisarazu twins asked while re-tying the red ribbon around his forehead, effectively stopping the younger Fuji's outburst. He can be really loud sometimes. Mizuki's crush had been very obvious but he didn't even catch on? How dense, he mused dryly. By this time, everyone was crowded around Mizuki, curious as well. His crush issue's not that big, they've already known about that, apparently except for Yuuta.

Forcing down his blush and emitting a strained chuckle, the hair-twirling lad cleared his throat to recollect himself, silently thanking Atsushi and cursing Akazawa for that darn comment he made. He discreetly watched as Yuuta picked his unhinged jaw up and huffed loudly. Oh, the kid will surely talk to him about this later. "Oh, you know her, Atsushi-kun. You've already seen her."

"I did? Wait, who are you talking about?"

Mizuki raised a hand to finger a lock of his hair and chuckled lowly, "Someone related to a woman who brought Seigaku to victory. But, the more important matter here is.. the identity of the father of the baby!"

Rolling his eyes, Yuuta turned to leave. That's it, he's got enough revelations for today. He will just interrogate their Manager later. Mizuki's gossips are not worth listening to. And why would he care about something like that anyway? So he took hold of the metal door knob and twisted it, while behind him, his teammates were already pestering his Senpai. Are they that bored that they've reduced to listening to that kind of stories? Psh.

"Just tell us already, will you?"

"Fine! It's-.."

Yuuta moved to step out..

"..Ryuzaki Sakuno of Seigaku. Ryuzaki Sumire-sensei's granddaughter!"

And he froze in his step, the sole of his white rubber shoes just a few centimetres from the tiled floor.

Did he hear him right-..

"Eh?! And who's the father?!", he heard Atsushi's voice exclaim amidst the chorus of surprised reactions.

"You've seen him too yesterday, Atsushi-kun, when we were spying!", Mizuki's voice reverberated in the room, then he paused for a grand effect, before finally declaring, "Of course, it's SANADA GENICHIROU of Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku!"

Yuuta suddenly felt like killing somebody.

...

From the corner of his eyes, Fuji quietly watched their reactions before drawing back his undecipherable gaze to Kirihara. He didn't like this one bit.

_'Are you worried, Syuusuke?'_

His elder sister's voice suddenly rang in his mind, the conversation over the phone they had yesterday replaying on its own accord. There was something in the way she asked that made him hesitate for a brief second. It was inquisitive, yet she sounded as if she already knew what his answer will be.

_'..I think so.'_

Of course, he was worried for her. She didn't even contact him, nor did she try to explain. And when he saw her this morning, she was sporting a bruise on her chin and she had a cold. Of course, it got him worried. But there's nothing wrong with that, right? It's only natural. After all, Sakuno is a friend of his and she's under his 'Special people' category now.

'_How cute! She's gone for only a day and you're already worried!'_

Sakuno is special to him, just like Yuuta. Just like his family. The auburn head matters to him a lot, just like how Yuuta does to him. So, there's nothing wrong with him being protective of her, right? It's just how he is, he's protective of the people he cares for. It's only normal.. to feel this, right?

Just like how he does for Yuuta.

His cerulean blue eyes then shifted towards the auburn-haired girl's lovely visage, and his thoughts, that were running in utter chaos, came to an abrupt halt. Her chocolate brown orbs, that were soft with confusion, were staring straight at him, and for a terse moment, their gazes locked in silent communication.

The look in them told him everything he needed. Without any word exchanged, he understood what was going through her mind. It was painfully obvious that she had no idea about what this boy is saying, thank God. But he can also feel her escalating distress, and he knows that it included him. She was worried about what he said, and she wanted him to calm down. She wanted everyone to calm down.

He could almost hear her, even without her speaking to him.

'Senpai..'

So he slightly nodded his head, his brunette locks swaying with his almost imperceptible movement. He can't make her worry, now can he? Fuji allowed the hard edges around his blue eyes to soften, wanting to let her know that he'll try his best to control himself. Now, all he has to do is take the girl away from the commotion and just shut them all up. They're causing quite a scene and Sakuno is not comfortable with it. If they continue that, they'll get her hurt.

He is unpleased but he'll deal with that later. Sakuno comes first.

This silent way of communication they have right here was the reason why he knew in the first place that she was special to him.

Just like how Yuuta is to him. Right?

At least that's what he wanted himself to believe.

But when Kirihara turned to glance at the petite girl with that familiar soft expression in his forest green orbs, when Kikumaru snapped up his head and stared at her with that very same look, and when Tezuka purposefully strode towards the two and gently took the stumped Sakuno from Kirihara (effectively silencing everyone, and making Momo and Kaidou back away) with that same gaze in his brown eyes..

..that same gaze he found himself giving her ever since he saw her as someone special to him..

Another voice spoke in his head. Strangely enough, it had the same voice as his. And it was not long before he realized that that voice is from the part of him that already knew the answer to his question.

'It's normal to have this maddening urge to protect her, and feel an insane amount of cold rage to the people you see as a threat to her? Like how you feel when it comes to Yuuta? For a genius, you're awfully stupid, Fuji Syuusuke.'

...

Sitting on the red couch at the living room, Sumire gingerly fingered the strings of the strikingly blue bass guitar on her lap, before letting the tip of her fingers slide unto its smooth, slender side. It still had that very beautiful luster on it, and it looked just as good as new. She knew how precious it was to her son. The sad thing is.. he never had the chance to really use it.

Maybe it's time to let go now, of him and of the painful memories.

This is for the best. This is all for Sakuno, afterall.

She can't really throw the guitar away like trash, maybe she'll just give it away, or re-sale it. Right. Besides, it came from that woman, so no need to think twice about this. Sumire doesn't need to honor a thing that came from or belonged to her. Opening its thick, black case, she tenderly placed it inside, gave it a lingering look before closing the case again. There. Now, she just has to pack everything before her granddaughter gets home-..

Knock. Knock.

The Dragon coach deeply frowned when she heard a light knock on her door. She still has a lot of junk to take care of and this constant disturbance is starting to get to her. Damn it. Walking to the door with long, heavy strides across the wooden floor, she pulled open the door and almost sighed in irritation.

It's Ootori Choutaro again.

"Sugar again, I presume?", Sumire asked flatly.

What the heck did he do with all those sugar she already gave him?!

...

"Enough." Tezuka said with a hard and authoritative tone, his features dangerously serious. His word is law, everyone around him knew that, and no one dared to move a muscle. Well, maybe aside from a certain raven-haired Rikkai regular, who looked like a stubborn child whose candy got stolen from him. He didn't understand it.. all he wanted was to talk with the girl. Why are all of them meddling and being stupidly irritating?!

Momo and Kaidou visibly forced themselves to calm down, restraining any urge to murder Kirihara right where he stands. Fuji, reining in his own temper, made a reach for the Tennis racquet in Kawamura's hand (who instantly reverted to his shy self), but his troubled cerulean gaze was kept trained on the auburn-haired girl. Kikumaru blinked, still watching everyone with a strange silence that Oishi began to notice.

Sakuno was staring at the Seigaku Captain from below with an expression of sheer gratitude in her brown doe-like orbs, her heart-shaped face still beet red. She didn't know what was going on, and before she could even say anything about it, her Senpai-tachi (Momo, Kaidou and Kawamura in particular) started shouting, and she could only squeak in panic. They looked angry and she was scared.. of what her Senpai-tachi would do to Kirihara.

The auburn head could tell that he was a good person, and even though what he said shocked her, she just couldn't get herself to be angry at him. The innocence he exuded that day she found him under a tree, and those forest green eyes she stared into as he woke up.. those snapshots of memories somehow tell her that Kirihara meant her no harm. He is a good person and there must be a reason why he said that, ne? There must be. So she'd hear him out and let him tell her why he thought she was pregnant.. But that seems to be impossible right now. Oh, if only her Seniors and the Seaweed head would stop arguing. Sakuno wanted them to stop for a second and just calm down, but she knew it was impossible the second she saw Fuji's not-so-pleasant demeanor. She's really thankful that the Captain finally decided to take the matter into his more than capable hands. A sudden burst of relief swept through her when he pulled her from the middle of the group and rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Strangely, his gesture eased the tension she was feeling and made her relax a bit.

Around them, the people who were watching the spectacle wore wide-eyed looks on their faces. It's not everyday someone just comes to the club and proclaims that the granddaughter of the infamous Coach is pregnant!

But what really astonished them is Tezuka's action. He looked incredibly stoic that it was scary, yet he held the auburn girl with the utmost gentleness they have ever seen. Tezuka stood in front of the Rikkai ace, with Sakuno between them and now a decent space away from Kirihara, the Buchou's hand still on her shoulder. He didn't break eye contact with the Seaweed head for a while, as if trying to stare him down which made the younger boy clench his jaw, before turning away.

From behind his thinly-rimmed glasses, Tezuka's brown eyes then landed on Inui, who nodded and immediately came to his side with his trusty notebook, distraught by what happened. Why, of all the places where Kirihara could find Sakuno, does it have to be in the Tennis courts where a lot of people are watching? He definitely had no data about this. Even the way everyone reacted was not within his calculations. Kikumaru should've pounced on Kirihara, not just stand there looking lost. And Fuji, he knew he was going to be upset but not THAT angry, even Kaidou who he thought doesn't give a care about the girl was fuming. And Tezuka.. there was something different about him when he saw the Rikkai regular with Sakuno. There was the typical twitch of his eyebrows, but the discreet clench of his jaw, the slight widening of his brown eyes, dilation of his pupils and the darkening of its hue seconds after told another story.

He just couldn't pinpoint what.

Tezuka soon noticed his calculating gaze on him and instantly wore his stoic mask, the traces of his initial reaction gone in a blink of an eye. These kind of events rarely ruffle the Captain, and oftentimes he wouldn't even spare it a damn. There were only a number of times he'd seen the lad let go of his defenses, of his barriers, and they were only few and far between. So what could've caused this carelessness? Maybe it's because the girl is the granddaughter of their Coach? But that reason is not sufficient enough.

His data had been wrong. Why?

"First, non-regulars, please do make the bystanders leave." At Inui's direct command, the boys wearing blue jackets and the first years scrambled to the areas around the courts where the unnecessary people were and asked them to go. Some were even refusing but a dark glance from both Tezuka and Fuji made them scurry away, not wanting to incur the wrath of the already peeved regulars. The Seigaku Dataman eyed all of the regulars with a resigned sigh before starting, "Now, regulars, please calm down and let me explain everything." He mechanically motioned to Kirihara, "This person-.."

"My name's Kirihara Akaya-.."

"Fffshuu.. We know that, you jerk!", the hot-headed Snake growled.

"..-and will you let go of her?", the black-haired Rikkai Sophomore scowled darkly at Tezuka. He didn't like the way the Captain pulled Sakuno away from him, nor did he like the fact that he's acting protective of her. It annoyed him, really. He's the father of her baby, not Tezuka! "I came here to talk to her, not with you lot!"

That's when the Buchou suddenly glanced at his hand which was still comfortably and protectively perched at the girl's shoulder. Sakuno seemed unaware of it though and was looking at Kirihara with innocent confusion. Of course. So he lifted his hand but stopped for a split second, as if it was resisting and wanting to touch her again to make sure she's alright. But then, he retracted his hand and used the act of pushing his glasses up his nose to make his movement seem natural (Inui caught the slight hesitance and his green, beady eyes blinked behind his opaque glasses). Then he drew back his eyes to the Rikkai lad who is now having a staring contest with the Seigaku Sophomores.

"You got some nerve coming here and saying she's pregnant, Kirihara! What did you do to her, you Hentai?! How dare you molest our Kouhai?!", Momo was still furious. Sakuno's just a young girl! How dare he?! As her Senpai, he can't let this happen! And what will Echizen say to him once that cocky brat finds out that he failed his duty as a guardian to Sakuno? Oh no, the God of love will definitely curse him!

"Momo, stop it. I said I'll explain everything." Inui berated sharply, and when the Seigaku Sophomore reluctantly shifted his gaze away, the Dataman nudged his glasses and said, "I've been informed earlier today by Renji about Kirihara's unexpected visit and his-.."

"Yanagi-senpai? He told you?! H-How did he-.."

"Stop interrupting and-.."

Momo shouted again, "Yeah, stop interrupting, moron! You're in an unfamiliar territory so I suggest you shut up-.."

"Why don't YOU shut up?!"

"You really don't fear for your life, do you?!"

The Seigaku Tensai shuffled to where Sakuno was and stood at her other side opposite Tezuka, his hand gently touching her left arm, as if wanting to tell her, 'I'm here.' The auburn head turned her head to him and nodded slowly, a small smile on her lips. But her chocolate brown orbs were confused, and at the same time, worried, Fuji observed. She's worried for that Kirihara.

And the Tensai's gut clenched.

He didn't like what's happening. He didn't like it one bit. But he doesn't want to make her worry. So he smiled at her like he usually does, mutely telling her that he's not upset anymore and that everything will be okay. Sakuno nodded again, this time with a relieved and happy spark in her eyes.

Funny how such an unexpected turn of events made him realize a lot of things. No, the word 'Realize' is wrong, very. Because he already knew long before all of this happened. He just won't accept it. There goes that voice in his head again. Telling him how stupid he was. But he forced it away, blocking out the words that made him inwardly want to agree with the voice. He willed the rational side of his mind to be stronger, to be inflexible and impenetrable. But the voice just got louder and more insistent, until these words seeped through the block he built in his mind, much like water flowing through the gaps in between the fingers of a person.

'No matter how much you deny it, no matter how much you pretend that you don't know what these feelings are, the truth remains the same. Sakuno is special to you. But not in the way Yuuta is. She's a different kind of special and you know it. You've always known.'

Fuji's cerulean orbs took a short glimpse of the girl beside him and his smile dimmed a bit.

He had always known, deep inside him. Of course he had.

But he can't do that. He can't just let himself accept that.

..Because he can't compete with Yuuta. He can never hurt his little brother again.

Kirihara's angered retort snapped the Seigaku genius back to reality. "Fear for wha-.."

"He doesn't know the meaning of fear, but then again, he doesn't know the meaning of MOST words." A baritone voice resounded behind them and they all turned to see six figures coming their way; Four of them were wearing the blue-green Rikkai uniform and two were donned in the brown Hyotei uniforms. Preceding them is Sanada, who was striding with a dark, foreboding aura around him. His face was set stoically, his movements sure, precise and worthy of his title, 'The Emperor'. Then as they neared the Seigaku regulars, they halted in their stride with urgency.

Wait. What's happening and what are they doing here? Well, the Rikkai regulars' presence, they could understand. Kirihara's in Seigaku, creating havoc after all. But what they don't get is..

"Ahn, what is this all about?", Atobe had a perfectly-arched grey brow quirked as he took in the scene, amusement colouring his voice. His gaze travelled from Momo and Kaidou who were wearing scowls on their faces, Kikumaru, Kawamura and Oishi who were relatively calm but alert then at the black-haired lad wearing the same school uniform as Sanada. "Kirihara of Rikkai in Seigaku? A rare sight, na Kabaji?"

"Usu."

..Well, that. What exactly are they doing here?

But before any of the Seigaku regulars can even pose a question, the Hyotei King's grey gaze wandered towards the auburn-haired girl standing between Fuji Syuusuke and Tezuka Kunimitsu. At the same time, the Rikkai Emperor's black eyes flew to the same person, and it widened in recognition. And, before either one could even stop, the Tennis rivals- Atobe and Sanada, the ice and fire, respectively- both muttered her name aloud, "Ryuzaki Sakuno..", before glancing at each other in surprise, and finally realizing who the other came here for.

Which, of course, gave our dear Seigaku regulars, another shock today, folks.

...

TBC

...

**A/N: Two cliffhangers in a row. Fun. If you're reading this, then let me tell you how thankful I am. Thank you very much for sticking with me, for the continuous support and for giving awesome reviews! You guys don't know how happy I am, seriously. The reviews reached 147 and the views were over 5000, I was shocked. Thank you again, please do leave a review ne? It will be much appreciated, knowing there are other people who likes my story. Arigatou.**

**Wow, this chapter's long. I really intended to write about Fuji's story in this chapter like how I did with Kaidou, but I just couldn't because of the other events taking place. So, I'll just do it in the next chapter, promise. After that, it will be Yukimura's turn. Curious about that little sneak peek I posted before? Well, you guys will find out soon. I finally laid out the foundations for the future events. Oh, and Yamabuki and St. Rudolph are in the mix now too! Success! I gotta write more Fudoumine and Rokkaku stuff though. Now that I'm finished with Chap. 7, I'll have more time for Baby Blues.**

**Nice one to.. for guessing right about Tezuka's relationship with Sakuno! Oh, and just to let you know, the names I've been using for the OC characters are from Tenimyu. Like Bishin Kawasumi who played Zaizen Hikaru B during the Shitenhouji arc in Season 1. **

**THERE'S A CHANGE! A CHANGE, I TELL YOU!**

**This is the tally of the votes from the ****Reviews**** for Chapters 1 to 5. And I was very surprised with the results!**

**1. Yukimura Seiichi**

**2. Tooyama Kintarou and Tezuka Kunimitsu **

**3. Niou Masaharu**

**4. Fuji Syuusuke and Sanada Genichirou**

**5. Shiraishi Kuranosuke**

**6. Atobe Keigo and Ootori Choutaro**

**7. Marui Bunta**

**8. Kirihara Akaya and Kikumaru Eiji**

**9. Oshitari Yuushi and Gakuto Mukahi**

**10. Yagyuu Hiroshi, Zaizen Hikaru, Oshitari Kenya and Shishido Ryo**

**Kin-chan and Niou? Whoa. Didn't see that coming.**

**NEW VOTING SYSTEM, HEAR YE!**

**Some people have been requesting to vote again although they've already voted before because of 1. A change of heart and 2. A want to show more support for their beloved Princes. I got a lot of requests, and I'd be glad to indulge you so here's the deal, I'll let you guys vote for EVERY CHAPTER but for only ONE (1) character. There will be new tallies every chap, so there will be no way you guys will be able to predict the last result. The voting will stop at the second to the last chapter. **

**The results of the votes from the official poll, the review votes for Chapters 1 to 5 and the review votes for Chapters 6 to the last will be added and will be only revealed at the last Chapter which, hopefully, is Chapter 27. (Is 27 chapters okay or is it too long?)**

**Savvy? Please don't forget to leave a review on your way out and you can now vote (if you want to). Here's a brownie for the road! Adieu! With much love, Reinne141.**


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